🔗 Share this article

The artist has donated the full amount of his £25k honor winnings to the MVT, which works to protect the Britain's grassroots music venues.

The star was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was named the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

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

The donation assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in upgrading amenities and gear that helped artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that funds from shows in big venues supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.

The musician is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.

Back when they won the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.

In 2002, artist she shared her bounty between multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," she explained to a publication.

Previously, they gave their funds to the youth organization that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in the city and the second in the city were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.