Sam Fender contributes twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to grassroots concert halls

The singer holding his trophy in his hometown
He received the honor last month in his hometown

The star has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which operates to preserve the Britain's small live music spots.

Fender was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

He has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.

"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

He also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.

These funds assisted spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues stemming from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and audiences.

"The concept that funds from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.

Pulp members on stage
The group are one of the many acts who gave their honor funds to good causes

The musician is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.

In the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite shared her prize among several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told outlets.

In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted another person's life."

Recently, the trust announced it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.

One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who buy "shares" in the venues.

Lauren Richard
Lauren Richard

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