🔗 Share this article

Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the UK's small music venues.

Fender was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his third album the album was declared the best record of the past year.

The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and fans.

"The idea that money from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

Back when the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the charity War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her award across several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she shared with the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that supported their band, alongside other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.

"Winning was ample," said singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.

The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the properties.