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The musician gives his £25k prize award winnings to independent music venues

The artist receiving the award in the North East
Sam Fender received the prestigious award last month in Newcastle

The star has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.

Fender was given the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

He has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Recently, major artists including 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 small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.

He also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.

The donation helped venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

The band Pulp in concert
They are one example who gave their award winnings to charity

The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to good deeds.

In Pulp received the prize in 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

That year, artist she shared her prize across a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," she told a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.

Also the 1994 recipients the group gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched the lives of others."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.

Written by

Lisa White

A seasoned journalist specializing in gambling regulations and casino reviews, with over a decade of experience in the industry.

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