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Sam Fender gives £25,000 Mercury Prize to grassroots music venues

Sam Fender receiving the award in his hometown
He received the honor in October in his hometown

The artist has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the MVT, which works to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.

The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the previous year.

Fender has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.

These funds assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.

"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.

Pulp performing
Pulp are one of the many acts who contributed their honor prize money to good causes

Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.

Back when Pulp received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the band would give their cash to the organization the charity.

During 2002, musician she split her prize across a few charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Previously, they contributed their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year they gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was identified with the condition.

"The victory was ample," remarked singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

The first in Southampton and the second in that location were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "shares" in the venues.

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By

Angela Arnold

A digital marketing strategist with over a decade of experience in SEO and content creation across European markets.

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