Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his new release the album was declared the top album of the past year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor funds to good deeds.
Back when they won the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their prize money to the organization the charity.
During 2002, artist she shared her award between several organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," she told a publication.
In recent years, the band gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"The victory was ample," said singer Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several small stages in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
