Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
The money supported venues that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The concept that funds from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his honor winnings to worthy causes.
When the band won the award in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman the singer stated that the band would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," she explained to the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT shared it had saved several local spots in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
