Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's small concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his latest record his work was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to assist numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to give his award funds to charitable organizations.
When Pulp earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their album their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the band would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
During 2002, artist she divided her prize between several organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, the band contributed their winnings to the local youth club that supported their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was ample," stated singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Last week, the trust announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
The first in that area and The Croft in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
