The artist contributes £25,000 Mercury Prize to independent music venues
Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's independent music venues.
The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots had in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The money helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from shows in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his award prize money to good deeds.
When the band won the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist the singer announced that the band would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, musician she shared her award among multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other local music groups.
And 1994 winners they donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success affected another person's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had saved two small stages in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in that area and The Croft in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the venues.