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Sam Fender donates twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to grassroots concert halls

The singer holding his trophy in Newcastle
He received the prestigious award in October in his hometown

The artist has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to save the UK's small music venues.

He was given the cheque on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the best record of the previous year.

Fender has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted locations that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Other venues received financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

Pulp members in concert
The group are among the artists who donated their honor funds to non-profits

Fender is far from the only musician to give his honor prize money to charitable organizations.

Back when they earned the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.

During 2002, musician the artist split her prize across multiple charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.

Previously, the band gave their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Also 1994 winners M People gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the condition.

"Winning was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted another person's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved several local spots in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in that area and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.

JR
The writer

Jasmine Robinson

Tech futurist and AI researcher with a passion for exploring how emerging technologies shape our world, based in San Francisco.

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