The musician gives £25,000 Mercury Prize to small live spaces

The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's small music venues.

Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his beginning days.

"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Recently, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.

He also joined in, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight local spots across the UK.

The money helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.

"The idea that money from shows in big venues supports the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.

He is among several artists to donate his award funds to charitable organizations.

Back when they earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

That year, musician she split her bounty among a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a grand to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," the artist explained to outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Also 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected the lives of others."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved several small stages in that region, by transferring them to local control.

The first in Southampton and The Croft in the city were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "stakes" in the properties.