Sam Fender gives his £25k prize cash award to small live spaces

The artist has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's independent music venues.

He was awarded the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was declared the best record of the previous year.

He has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages played in his initial steps.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

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

Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous small stages across Britain.

These funds assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and fans.

"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.

He is among several artists to give his honor winnings to worthy causes.

In they won the prize in 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.

During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she told a publication.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that supported their group, in addition to other local music groups.

And winners that year they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the buildings.