Sam Fender contributes £25,000 cash award to grassroots music venues
The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was awarded the award on 16 October as his third album the album was declared the top album of the past year.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to issues arising from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.
When the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty between multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the community center that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.