🔗 Share this article

Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the UK's small music venues.

Fender was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.

The musician has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.

The money helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.

Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and fans.

"The notion that money from shows in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

The musician is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.

When Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.

In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her award between a few charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist told the media.

Two years ago, the band contributed their funds to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year they donated their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had saved a couple of local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who buy "shares" in the buildings.