The artist gives £25,000 cash award to grassroots music venues
The artist has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
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 decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
The money supported venues that were facing potential shutdown due to issues arising from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The notion that revenue from shows in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
Back when they won the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would donate their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her prize among a few charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she shared with the media.
In recent years, they gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and The Croft in the city were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by a national body and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.