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Sam Fender gives £25,000 Mercury Prize to independent music venues

The singer receiving Mercury Prize in Newcastle
He won the Mercury Prize recently in Newcastle

The artist has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which works to save the Britain's grassroots music venues.

He was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.

Sam Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 small stages across Britain.

These funds supported locations that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.

"The idea that money from concerts in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has stated.

Pulp members in concert
Pulp are among the artists who donated their honor winnings to good causes

He is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

When the band received the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman the singer stated that the band would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.

During 2002, artist the artist split her award among multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.

Previously, they donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.

Also 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.

"The victory was quite enough," stated singer Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in that area and the second in the city were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "shares" in the venues.

About the author

Elizabeth Young

Urban planner and design enthusiast with over a decade of experience in sustainable city development and community-focused architecture.

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