🔗 Share this article

Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which works to save the Britain's independent live music spots.

The star was given the prize on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.

He has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots played in his early career.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

He also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.

Some locations received financial assistance in improving facilities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.

"The notion that money from shows in big venues supports the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.

He is far from the only musician to donate his honor funds to charitable organizations.

When Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, vocalist the singer announced that the group would contribute their winnings to the organization the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her prize across several charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Also 1994 winners they contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.

"The victory was quite enough," stated singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected several grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into local control.

One venue in that area and the second in the city were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the venues.