Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was awarded the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to issues stemming from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The notion that money from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
When Pulp won the award in 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist divided her bounty between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, they donated their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group donated their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the buildings.
