Skip to content
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Slotbase192

Sam Fender contributes his £25k prize cash award to small concert halls

The artist accepting Mercury Prize in Newcastle
He received the prestigious award in October in his hometown

The artist has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's small music venues.

He was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record his work was declared the best record of the past year.

He has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to support thirty-eight local spots across the UK.

The money assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces received funding support in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and audiences.

"The notion that money from concerts in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

Pulp on stage
The group are one example who donated their honor winnings to charity

The musician is far from the only musician to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.

In Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the organization War Child.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her award across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she told outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally winners that year the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.

"The victory was quite enough," remarked singer Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched the lives of others."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in Southampton and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.

About the author

Jasmine Berger

A professional casino analyst with over a decade of experience in gaming strategies and slot machine mechanics, dedicated to helping players improve their odds.

Slotbase192

Type to search articles.