Sam Fender gives £25,000 Mercury Prize to grassroots concert halls

The singer accepting the award in Newcastle
He was awarded the Mercury Prize in October in Newcastle

Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the trust for venues, which operates to save the UK's grassroots music venues.

He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role small stages had in his initial steps.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.

Recently, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.

He also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to support 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and gear that helped artists and fans.

"The idea that funds from performances in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

Pulp members on stage
The group are one of the many acts who donated their honor winnings to non-profits

Fender is not the first artist to give his award winnings to worthy causes.

When the band received the award in the year 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer stated that the band would donate their cash to the charity War Child.

In 2002, artist she shared her award among several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally winners that year the group donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.

"The victory was ample," said artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched the lives of others."

Recently, the MVT announced it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and the second in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.

Travis Cooke
Travis Cooke

Elena Marchetti is a seasoned creative strategist and writer passionate about helping others unlock their creative potential.