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Wednesday, October 7, 2026
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The musician contributes his £25k prize cash award to grassroots live spaces

Sam Fender accepting Mercury Prize in Newcastle
Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize last month in his hometown

The star has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to save the United Kingdom's small live music spots.

The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.

He has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages had in his early career.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.

Sam Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.

These funds helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that helped artists and audiences.

"The notion that funds from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.

Pulp on stage
They are one example who donated their Mercury Prize prize money to charity

Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor prize money to good deeds.

In Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, artist the artist shared her award between multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite told the media.

In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners the group gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"Winning was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

Recently, the MVT shared it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

One venue in the city and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.

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Tracy Fitzgerald

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