Sam Fender contributes his £25k prize award winnings to independent music venues
The star has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.
In they won the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Cocker stated that the act would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her prize across several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," she explained to outlets.
Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Also winners that year M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in the city and the second in that location were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.