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The artist contributes twenty-five thousand pounds cash award to independent music venues

The artist receiving his trophy in Newcastle
Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize last month in the North East

The star has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.

Fender was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the previous year.

The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

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

Over the past year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.

He also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.

Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.

"The notion that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has said.

Pulp on stage
They are one of the many acts who gave their award prize money to charity

He is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.

When the band received the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the organization War Child.

That year, artist she divided her prize between a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.

Previously, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

Additionally 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust announced it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in that area and the second in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who buy "stakes" in the properties.

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Jared Lopez MD

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