Sam Fender gives £25,000 Mercury Prize to independent live spaces

Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which functions to save the Britain's small concert spaces.

He was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.

He has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots had in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.

In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.

He also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.

The money assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and fans.

"The concept that revenue from performances in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.

He is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.

Back when Pulp won the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would donate their cash to the organization the charity.

In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize among a few charities, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," she told a publication.

Previously, the band donated their prize money to the community center that supported their band, as well as other local music groups.

Additionally 1994 winners the group gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.

"The victory was ample," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."

Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

One venue in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the buildings.