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The musician gives twenty-five thousand pounds cash award to small music venues

The singer accepting the award in Newcastle
He received the Mercury Prize last month in his hometown

The star has given the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to save the Britain's independent music venues.

The star was given the award on mid-October as his new release his work was declared the top album of the previous year.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots played in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.

Sam Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation supported spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges arising from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and audiences.

"The concept that revenue from concerts in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

Pulp in concert
The group are one example who gave their honor funds to non-profits

The musician is among several artists to give his honor funds to good deeds.

When the band received the award in the year 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer announced that the act would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.

That year, musician the artist split her prize between a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she told a publication.

In recent years, the band gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally the 1994 recipients the group donated their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked vocalist Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the trust revealed it had saved two small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.

The writer

Daniel Collins

A tech innovator and productivity strategist with over a decade of experience in AI-driven workflow solutions.

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