🔗 Share this article

The artist has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the MVT, which works to protect the Britain's small concert spaces.

Fender was presented with the award on 16 October as his new release his work was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.

He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his initial steps.

"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across Britain.

These funds helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and audiences.

"The idea that money from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," the star has said.

The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.

In they won the award in 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, musician the artist divided her prize among a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she shared with the media.

In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that developed their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.

"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected another person's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.

One venue in the city and the second in the city were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.