🔗 Share this article

The star has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's independent concert spaces.

He was presented with the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was named the best record of the last 12 months.

The musician has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

The money helped venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.

Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.

"The idea that revenue from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to good deeds.

When the band earned the award in the mid-90s for their release the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their prize money to the charity the charity.

During 2002, artist she divided her bounty among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"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 the media.

Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other local music groups.

Additionally 1994 winners M People contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"The victory was ample," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success affected another person's life."

In the past week, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into local control.

One venue in the city and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.