The musician donates twenty-five thousand pounds award winnings to small live spaces

Sam Fender receiving the award in his hometown
He was awarded the honor in October in Newcastle

The artist has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the trust for venues, which works to save the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.

He was awarded the award on 16 October as his new release the album was named the best record of the past year.

He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.

He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation supported spaces that were facing possible closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Some locations obtained funding support in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

Pulp on stage
They are one of the many acts who contributed their award winnings to charity

Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor prize money to charitable organizations.

When they won the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the band would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite shared her bounty across several charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.

In recent years, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year M People contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory affected another person's life."

Recently, the trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under local control.

The Joiners in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.

Alexander Mendez
Alexander Mendez

A seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience covering international affairs and cultural trends across Europe and Asia.