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

Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25k award cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's small live music spots.

He was given the award on October 16 as his new release his work was named the best record of the past year.

The musician has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages had in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money supported locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.

Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and gear that helped musicians and concertgoers.

"The concept that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has said.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.

When the band received the trophy in 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.

In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her prize between multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.

In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally 1994 winners they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The first in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.