Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I personally 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," stated Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds supported spaces that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving amenities and gear that helped musicians and audiences.
"The concept that money from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.
In Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist split her award among multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," she told outlets.
Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the youth organization that developed their group, as well as other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients the group donated their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the second in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
