🔗 Share this article

The star has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.

He was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.

The donation assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.

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

"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.

He is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.

In Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.

In 2002, artist the artist divided her bounty across a few charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.

In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the community center that supported their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally the 1994 recipients M People gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the disease.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected the lives of others."

Recently, the MVT shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the buildings.