‘I was in Newcastle for Sam Fender’s Mercury Prize win – this is what it meant to the city’

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‘The north east is the best region in the country’.

Those were the words roared by native Geordie Sam Fender after he picked up the Mercury Prize for his album People Watching at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.

The city, which hosted the prestigious awards ceremony for the first time outside of London, is certainly showing why he has a point.

An explosion of emotion rippled across the building when BBC Radio 1 presenter Sian Eleri announced the North Shields star had won. It wasn’t just a triumph for Sam – it was a victory for the entire city.

It’s testament to the growth of the north east’s music and creative arts scene. There were more than 700,000 visitors to the regio