The artist contributes £25,000 cash award to grassroots live spaces

The singer holding the award in his hometown
He won the prestigious award last month in his hometown

The artist has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which works to protect the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.

Fender was given the award on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.

"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving amenities and technical equipment that helped musicians and audiences.

"The idea that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

The band Pulp in concert
They are among the artists who contributed their honor funds to charity

He is not the first artist to give his award prize money to good deeds.

Back when they earned the award in 1996 for their release the album, lead singer the singer stated that the act would contribute their cash to the organization the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty between multiple charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.

In recent years, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.

"Winning was ample," stated vocalist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted the lives of others."

Recently, the trust revealed it had protected several local spots in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The first in Southampton and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the venues.

Christina Charles
Christina Charles

A tech enthusiast and gaming expert with over a decade of experience reviewing hardware and trends in the gaming industry.