The musician contributes his £25k prize award winnings to small music venues
Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the UK's small music venues.
The star was awarded the award on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted venues that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from performances in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
In the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their record their work, frontman Cocker announced that the group would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist she divided her bounty across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, they donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year the group contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust shared it had saved several small stages in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.