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Sam Fender contributes his £25k prize Mercury Prize to grassroots concert halls
The star has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the UK's small music venues.
Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the top album of the past year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
He also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The donation supported locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The notion that revenue from shows in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to give his award prize money to good deeds.
Back when Pulp received the prize in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, frontman the singer declared that the band would give their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award between several charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Winning was ample," stated artist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved several local spots in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the venues.
Tyler Leon
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