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Thursday, October 8, 2026
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The artist gives twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to grassroots music venues

The singer receiving his trophy in the North East
Sam Fender won the prestigious award recently in Newcastle

The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.

The star was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds helped spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.

Some locations received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and fans.

"The idea that revenue from concerts in large arenas helps the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

Pulp in concert
Pulp are one of the many acts who contributed their honor funds to non-profits

He is among several artists to donate his award funds to worthy causes.

When they won the prize in the mid-90s for their release their work, frontman the singer declared that the band would give their prize money to the charity the charity.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite shared her award among several good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.

Previously, they donated their winnings to the community center that developed their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners M People donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"Winning was ample," stated singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust announced it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

The first in Southampton and the other in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership program, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.

About the author

Susan Lopez

A technology journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering AI, cybersecurity, and consumer electronics.

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