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The musician contributes twenty-five thousand pounds award winnings to independent concert halls

Sam Fender holding Mercury Prize in his hometown
Sam Fender received the Mercury Prize last month in his hometown

The star has given the full amount of his £25,000 award cash to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's independent music venues.

Fender was given the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the past year.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the performances I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges arising from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues received funding support in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The idea that funds from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.

The band Pulp on stage
The group are one example who gave their award funds to good causes

Fender is not the first artist to give his award winnings to good deeds.

In the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

That year, musician Ms Dynamite shared her prize between a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she explained to the media.

Two years ago, the band donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their group, alongside other local music groups.

And the 1994 recipients the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.

"The victory was quite enough," said artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched another person's life."

Recently, the trust shared it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

The first in Southampton and the second in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.

The writer

Christopher Jackson

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on business and society.

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