🔗 Share this article

The star has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the UK's small concert spaces.

He was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.

He has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous small stages across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and fans.

"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," the star has stated.

The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.

In Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist the singer declared that the act would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.

That year, musician the artist divided her prize among multiple organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.

Previously, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year they contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning touched another person's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had saved two small stages in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.