Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the cheque on 16 October as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function small stages played in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The donation supported locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving amenities and gear that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
In the band won the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman the singer declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she divided her prize across a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
Two years ago, they donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected several grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
