Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's small music venues.
The star was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to charitable organizations.
In they received the award in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer the singer stated that the act would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize across multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
Previously, they donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"The victory was ample," stated singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning touched another person's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
