The musician gives £25,000 award winnings to independent concert halls

The artist holding Mercury Prize in his hometown
The musician won the prestigious award last month in the North East

The artist has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the trust for venues, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.

He was given the cheque on mid-October as his third album his work was named the top album of the last 12 months.

He has opted to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.

"I would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, top acts like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.

Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across Britain.

These funds supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and fans.

"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.

Pulp in concert
Pulp are among the artists who donated their award prize money to charity

He is not the first artist to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.

When they received the trophy in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Cocker stated that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity the charity.

During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.

In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," said vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust shared it had saved several local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.

Sara Padilla
Sara Padilla

Tech enthusiast and reviewer with a passion for uncovering the latest innovations and sharing practical advice.