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The musician gives his £25k prize Mercury Prize to small live spaces

The singer accepting his trophy in Newcastle
He was awarded the prestigious award last month in the North East

The star has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots live music spots.

He was awarded the prize on 16 October as his new release his work was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages played in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds supported spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Other venues received funding support in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that money from shows in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

Pulp performing
They are one of the many acts who donated their honor winnings to non-profits

Fender is not the first artist to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.

Back when the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer she split her prize among multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told a publication.

Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the youth organization that supported their band, alongside other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients M People contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning affected another person's life."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in that area and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.

Written by

Kathleen Peters

A seasoned gaming journalist with a decade of experience covering UK casino markets and regulatory developments.

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