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Monday, October 12, 2026
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Sam Fender gives twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to independent concert halls

The singer receiving Mercury Prize in his hometown
The musician was awarded the honor recently in Newcastle

The artist has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the MVT, which works to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.

Fender was given the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the top album of the previous year.

The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.

The donation assisted locations that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.

Other venues were granted funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and audiences.

"The notion that money from performances in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has said.

The band Pulp performing
They are one example who contributed their Mercury Prize winnings to good causes

Fender is among several artists to donate his honor prize money to good deeds.

When the band won the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.

During 2002, artist the artist divided her bounty between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.

Two years ago, they donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their band, alongside other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."

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

One venue in the city and the second in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.

About the author

Yolanda Bass

Elara is a digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech innovation and creative consulting, passionate about sharing actionable insights.

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