Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The money assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to give his award prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the prize in 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker announced that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity the charity.
That year, artist the artist split her award among a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a grand to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," the artist shared with the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners the group gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," stated artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
