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 protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
He was given the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to donate his award funds to worthy causes.
When they won the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer the singer declared that the group would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she split her prize across multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year M People contributed their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Winning was ample," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success affected another person's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.
