Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was awarded the award on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
He also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted monetary aid in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
Back when the band received the award in the year 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist split her prize across a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to a publication.
Previously, the band gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued several small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the other in the city were bought under the public acquisition program, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
