🔗 Share this article

Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.

He was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his early career.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.

Sam Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight small stages across the UK.

The money supported locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.

He is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

Back when Pulp earned the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.

That year, artist the artist divided her prize among multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she shared with outlets.

Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

And winners that year the group gave their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Winning was ample," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning touched somebody else's life."

Recently, the MVT shared it had saved several local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.

The first in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.