The musician donates his £25k prize cash award to independent concert halls
Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k honor winnings to the MVT, which works to preserve the Britain's small live music spots.
Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
He also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped musicians and audiences.
"The notion that funds from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," the star has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his award winnings to charitable organizations.
When Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman the singer stated that the group would contribute their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her bounty among a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she explained to outlets.
Two years ago, the band gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year the group gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was ample," said singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.