Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
He was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues received financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer the singer announced that the act would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
During 2002, musician she split her prize between several charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners they contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and the other in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
