Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was awarded the prize on 16 October as his third album the album was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 small stages across Britain.
The money supported spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to good deeds.
When the band earned the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, lead singer the singer announced that the act would give their winnings to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her award among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.
And winners that year M People contributed their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected the lives of others."
Recently, the trust announced it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
