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Sam Fender donates twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to small concert halls

The singer holding Mercury Prize in the North East
He received the prestigious award last month in the North East

The star has donated the full amount of his £25k award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's independent live music spots.

Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.

Additional spaces received financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from performances in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.

The band Pulp on stage
They are one of the many acts who contributed their Mercury Prize prize money to charity

Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor funds to good deeds.

In the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, frontman the singer stated that the group would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer she split her bounty between multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite told a publication.

In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," said singer Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.

The Joiners in the city and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.

The writer

Gary Jordan

A skincare enthusiast and certified esthetician with a passion for natural beauty solutions and sustainable living.

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