The artist contributes twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to small music venues

The singer accepting the award in Newcastle
He received the Mercury Prize in October in the North East

The artist has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which works to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.

The star was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

Fender has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.

"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Recently, top acts such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.

Sam Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

The money helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.

"The idea that revenue from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has stated.

Pulp performing
The group are one example who gave their honor winnings to charity

He is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to charitable organizations.

When Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their prize money to the charity the charity.

That year, rapper and singer she divided her bounty among several charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Previously, they gave their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally winners that year M People contributed their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected another person's life."

In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of local spots in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The first in that area and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.

Zachary Underwood
Zachary Underwood

Escritora y crítica literaria con más de una década de experiencia, especializada en narrativa hispanoamericana.