The artist gives twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to independent music venues
The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
Fender was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his early career.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The concept that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to give his award prize money to good deeds.
When they won the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, lead singer the singer stated that the group would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her prize among multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year they contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched the lives of others."
Recently, the trust shared it had protected several small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.