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Sam Fender contributes twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to independent music venues

The singer accepting his trophy in his hometown
Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize recently in Newcastle

The artist has handed over the full amount of his £25k award cash to the MVT, which operates to save the UK's small live music spots.

Fender was given the prize on 16 October as his new release the album was named the top album of the past year.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.

Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges arising from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped musicians and fans.

"The concept that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.

The band Pulp on stage
Pulp are among the artists who gave their honor prize money to good causes

The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.

When the band received the award in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit the charity.

That year, artist she split her prize across multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.

In recent years, the band gave their prize money to the youth organization that developed their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally 1994 winners they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was ample," said artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted another person's life."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected several local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.

The writer

Daniel Gomez

Nutritionist and wellness advocate with over a decade of experience in food science and public health education.

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