Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small music venues.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
These funds assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The concept that money from concerts in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when the band received the prize in 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
That year, musician the artist divided her prize among a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
In recent years, they gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the illness.
"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The first in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
