Sam Fender: Singer to turn another Brit Award into pub hand pump

Singer Sam Fender has said his second Brit Award will join the first as a quirky beer hand pull at his local pub.

The North Shields indie rocker took best rock/alternative singer at the ceremony at London's O2 Arena.

His 2019 critics' choice rising star trophy lives in the Low Lights Tavern in North Shields, where he worked and was discovered.

Fender said the second award would join it so "every time we go for a drink we can have a victory pint".

Before the ceremony Fender told BBC Radio 5 Live it would be "better this time round" because his band was with him.

"Including my guitarist Dean - who's been my best mate since we were 12 - so it's a real special night for me and the lads because we're getting to do it together," he said.

"I kicked him [Dean] out of the band I was in at the time [Elmo and the Cosmic Fridge] because he invited someone else into the band, but this is my penance."

Fender was also nominated for album of the year and artist of the year, both of which went to Adele.

But he said he had "particularly" wanted to win the category he did because it was voted for by fans.

"To us that just shows how passionate our fans are, how much they care and how much they want to see us succeed," he said.

"That, for me, is the most incredible thing."

Adele won three out the four main awards - best artist, album and song of the year.

Ed Sheeran took songwriter of the year while Dua Lipa was voted best pop/R&B act by TikTok users.

Fender said he donated his first award to the pub "because it was where I was discovered" when he was working there at the age of 18.

The bar manager at the time had recognised North East music manager Owain Davies, out celebrating after another Brit win, and urged Fender to get his guitar out.

Fender was surprised, given his boss used to call him "stupid boy" and "slap us across the head for playing guitar," he said.

After his win he told Colin Murray on Radio 5 Live that he only "came here for the meat raffle, to be honest, and then I came away with a Brit".

"Now I've got two, I'm going to go back [to the pub] and do the exact same thing," he said.

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