Pulp opened the 2025 Mercury Prize ceremony at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on Thursday evening with a performance of Spike Island, their comeback single from the Number 1 album More, one of twelve nominated albums from a shortlist of United Kingdom and Ireland artists. The band were joined on stage by Richard Hawley, twice nominated for a Mercury Prize himself in 2006 and 2012.

Despite being one of the bookies' favourites, Pulp went home empty-handed as Sam Fender took the prize for his third album People Watching. The ceremony was broadcast almost live (on a small delay) by the BBC and is now available to view on iPlayer for the next year.

The band are now on a break until 2026, but you can catch Mark Webber as he continues his UK book tour to promote the paperback edition of his history of the band, ‘I’m with Pulp, Are You?’.