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Monday, October 12, 2026
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Sam Fender donates his £25k prize Mercury Prize to grassroots music venues

The singer holding his trophy in Newcastle
Sam Fender won the prestigious award recently in his hometown

The artist has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the Britain's small music venues.

The star was presented with the prize on October 16 as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the previous year.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation supported spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

Pulp in concert
They are one example who donated their award prize money to good causes

Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.

In they won the prize in the year 1996 for their record their work, vocalist the singer declared that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.

That year, musician the artist split her prize among several good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.

In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that supported their band, in addition to other local music groups.

Additionally winners that year they gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," said artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust announced it had rescued two local spots in the South East, by transferring them to local control.

The first in Southampton and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.

By

Lisa Payne

A passionate content curator and digital enthusiast with a focus on Czech online media and blogging trends.

ZenPost UK

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