Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
Fender was given the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
The money supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in modernizing facilities and gear that helped performers and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her prize among several organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she shared with a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that developed their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they gave their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had saved a couple of small stages in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in the city and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
