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Sam Fender contributes £25,000 award winnings to grassroots live spaces

The artist holding the award in his hometown
He received the Mercury Prize last month in the North East

The star has given the entirety of his £25k honor cash to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the Britain's small music venues.

He was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album his work was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.

Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds helped spaces that were facing possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.

Pulp members in concert
They are one of the many acts who gave their award winnings to non-profits

Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor winnings to good deeds.

When they earned the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer the singer stated that the act would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer she shared her bounty between a few good causes, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," she shared with the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their act, in addition to other local music groups.

Also winners that year they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.

"Receiving the award was ample," said singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected another person's life."

Recently, the trust shared it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by placing them under local control.

One venue in that area and the other in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.

The writer

Melissa Hamilton

A passionate gaming journalist and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience covering the UK gaming scene.

PlayProHub UK

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