🔗 Share this article

The star has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent music venues.

Fender was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, top acts including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.

Sam Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

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

When they received the prize in 1996 for their record their work, lead singer the singer declared that the band would give their winnings to the organization War Child.

That year, rapper and singer she divided her bounty among several charities, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," she told outlets.

Two years ago, the band contributed their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their group, as well as other independent music bodies.

Also 1994 winners they donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the MVT announced it had rescued several local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.

One venue in the city and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the venues.