The musician gives his £25k prize cash award to small live spaces
The artist has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages had in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues arising from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations received financial assistance in improving amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.
Back when they won the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, lead singer Cocker announced that the band would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
That year, artist she split her prize among multiple charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, the band donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated singer Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The first in Southampton and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.