Sam Fender donates £25,000 cash award to grassroots live spaces

Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.

The star was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his latest record his work was named the outstanding release of the previous year.

He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his early career.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds supported locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted performers and fans.

"The idea that revenue from performances in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

Fender is among several artists to give his honor prize money to charitable organizations.

When they won the award in 1996 for their record the album, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

In 2002, musician she split her prize among multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she explained to the media.

Previously, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.

Also winners that year M People donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was identified with the disease.

"Winning was quite enough," stated singer Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."

Recently, the MVT revealed it had protected two grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.

One venue in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.