🔗 Share this article

The star has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's small music venues.

The star was given the cheque on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.

The musician has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.

"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.

In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation helped venues that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.

Some locations were granted funding support in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and audiences.

"The notion that money from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award winnings to good deeds.

Back when they earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.

That year, musician the artist split her prize across a few good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist told a publication.

In recent years, the band gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory touched the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.