🔗 Share this article

The artist has handed over the full amount of his £25k award prize money to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.

He was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record the album was declared the best record of the previous year.

He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.

"I wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation assisted venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Some locations obtained funding support in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and audiences.

"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.

When the band earned the award in 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would give their winnings to the charity the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her prize across several good causes, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

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

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the youth organization that developed their group, in addition to other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients M People gave their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.

"The victory was ample," said vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success touched another person's life."

Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the venues.