Sam Fender donates £25,000 cash award to small live spaces

The artist holding his trophy in Newcastle
The musician received the Mercury Prize recently in Newcastle

The star has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's independent live music spots.

Fender was given the cheque on 16 October as his third album his work was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

The musician has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.

"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.

The donation assisted locations that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted funding support in improving facilities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The notion that funds from performances in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.

Pulp members on stage
Pulp are one example who gave their Mercury Prize funds to charity

Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor winnings to worthy causes.

When the band won the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Cocker announced that the band would give their prize money to the non-profit the charity.

In 2002, artist she divided her prize among a few organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," the artist told outlets.

Previously, the band gave their winnings to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients the group gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected somebody else's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.

Susan Castaneda
Susan Castaneda

A seasoned music journalist with a passion for uncovering emerging artists and trends in the UK music industry.