Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which works to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was named the top album of the last 12 months.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds supported locations that were facing imminent closure due to challenges arising from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from performances in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his honor funds to good deeds.
Back when the band earned the prize in 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the act would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, artist the artist shared her prize among a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," the artist told a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that supported their band, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was ample," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected several small stages in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
