He's rubbing shoulders with pop royalty at the Brit Awards this week after shooting to stardom with two chart-topping albums.
And North Shields singer-songwriter Sam Fender is being used as an example of how access to culture can help steer young people away from a life of crime.
At today's Convention of the North in Liverpool, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness called on policy-makers to level up culture to fight poverty and reduce crime.
The Labour crime tsar argued during one of today's panel sessions that if society gives "young people of all backgrounds the same access to culture, the same opportunity to create, then we divert them away from the temptations of criminality".
Hear more about the importance of Northern culture on The Northern Agenda podcast
And she highlighted Sam's story, describing how his family was "suddenly hit by the full force of poverty, with court summons and benefit worries". She adds: "He saw the easy wins from drug dealing but he joined a band, and grew as a person."
Ms McGuinness, who oversees Northumbria's police force, said reducing the number of families in poverty "we will reduce crime". She added: "And we will reduce the number of families in poverty by increasing access to opportunity.
"That’s the plan. That’s why levelling up is so vital, and why we have to talk about access to culture and giving people ownership of the culture of their home town.
"Cultural activities in my part of the world are basically two things – they are hope and they are the path back to the straight and narrow.
"From football to music lessons, museums to festivals, boxing coaches to digital design, when we invest in young people we give them healthy role models.
"If we give young people of all backgrounds the same access to culture, the same opportunity to create, then we divert them away from the temptations of criminality."
She added: "The positive benefits of heeding this call would be felt in job creation, in poverty reduction and, yes, crime prevention.
"Investing in these young people is vital because, as any police officer in my patch will tell you, we cannot simply arrest our way out of trouble."
Sam Fender grew up on the North Shields coast where he has an abundance of fond memories, and struggles to let the area slip away despite his new found stardom.
Despite day to day life becoming a little harder due to the fame and fan-ship of the area, Sam continues to reside in his hometown - insisting in an interview with the New York Times that he would never leave North Shields behind.
At the Brit Awards he finds himself on the shortlist for Best Artist alongside Adele, Ed Sheeran, Little Simz and Dave, as well as Best Rock/Alternative Act. He also has sights on the highly prestigious Album of the Year award for Seventeen Going Under.
