🔗 Share this article

Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which works to save the UK's small live music spots.

He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record his work was chosen as the best record of the past year.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots played in his early career.

"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help thirty-eight small stages across Britain.

The money helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to issues arising from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.

Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and gear that positively impacted artists and audiences.

"The concept that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

The musician is far from the only musician to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.

Back when Pulp won the trophy in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would give their winnings to the organization War Child.

During 2002, artist she split her bounty among a few good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

And 1994 winners the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the illness.

"Receiving the award was ample," remarked artist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success touched another person's life."

In the past week, the trust announced it had rescued two small stages in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in Southampton and The Croft in the city were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.