Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the MVT, which works to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
Fender was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was named the top album of the previous year.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
He also participated, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous local spots across Britain.
The donation assisted spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from shows in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp earned the award in the mid-90s for their record the album, vocalist the singer stated that the group would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
That year, artist the artist divided her prize between several organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year they donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
