Skip to content
Slots Insider Hub

Sam Fender contributes twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to grassroots concert halls

The artist receiving the award in Newcastle
The musician was awarded the honor last month in the North East

The star has donated the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the Britain's small live music spots.

The star was presented with the award on mid-October as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the past year.

The musician has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages had in his initial steps.

"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.

Some locations received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and audiences.

"The notion that money from performances in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

Pulp members in concert
They are one example who contributed their Mercury Prize winnings to good causes

The musician is not the first artist to give his award prize money to worthy causes.

When they won the trophy in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer Cocker announced that the band would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her prize across several charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," she told the media.

In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Also the 1994 recipients the group contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.

"The victory was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted another person's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in the city were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.

By

Cynthia Miller

A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience in online casino analysis and player advocacy.

Slots Insider Hub

Type to search articles.