The artist gives his £25k prize Mercury Prize to independent music venues
The star has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
Fender was given the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages played in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
He also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to give his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
In they earned the award in 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist shared her bounty between multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and the other in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who buy "shares" in the buildings.
