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Sam Fender gives his £25k prize cash award to grassroots music venues

Sam Fender receiving the award in his hometown
The musician received the prestigious award last month in his hometown

The artist has handed over the full amount of his £25k honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.

He was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was named the best record of the last 12 months.

The musician has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.

"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

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

In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that helped artists and audiences.

"The concept that revenue from concerts in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.

Pulp performing
The group are one example who contributed their Mercury Prize funds to good causes

He is not the first artist to contribute his award prize money to charitable organizations.

In they received the trophy in 1996 for their record their work, frontman the singer announced that the band would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her prize between multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," the artist explained to the media.

In recent years, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

And winners that year M People gave their award to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.

"The victory was quite enough," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched another person's life."

Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued several local spots in the South East, by placing them under local control.

The first in that area and The Croft in the city were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.

By

David Weaver

A gaming enthusiast and mindfulness advocate, Maya writes about balancing entertainment with well-being in the casino world.

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