The musician donates his £25k prize Mercury Prize to independent concert halls
Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the trust for venues, which functions to save the Britain's small live music spots.
He was given the prize on 16 October as his third album the album was named the best record of the past year.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous small stages across Britain.
The money helped locations that were facing possible closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that helped artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
In they earned the trophy in 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist split her bounty across multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.
Previously, they contributed their prize money to the community center that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The first in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the buildings.