Sam Fender has donated his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venue Trust (MVT).
The 31-year-old star’s acclaimed album People Watching won the prestigious music prize at the ceremony in Newcastle last month, and he has now revealed he will be giving the entire sum to the charity, which is working tirelessly to keep small music venues open for future generations.
He said: “I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out.
“These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”
Fender previously raised £100,000 from his 2024 arena tour for the cause, which was split between 38 grassroots venues in England, Scotland, and Wales.
He achieved this by adding a small donation to the ticket prices for his shows.
Several artists have donated their Mercury Prize winnings over the years. In 2023, Ezra Collective gifted the money to a youth centre and grassroots venues.
Huge names, including Coldplay, Pulp and Katy Perry, have supported grassroots venues with ticket levies.
Coldplay put on shows at London’s Wembley Stadium and Hull’s Craven Park Stadium this summer in support of the Music Venue Trust.
The band donated10 per cent of their earnings from the shows to the charity.
Frontman Chris Martin spoke out on the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on independent venues. He noted that the biggest acts on the planet – including themselves – were once up-and-coming bands and gained invaluable experience honing their craft at small venues, so it would be heartbreaking if they were forced to close their doors.
He told NME: “You can’t just jump into that. With all of the artists that are playing stadiums next year, it’s no coincidence that all of them started in a van, driving around and playing pubs: Oasis, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, the truth is all there. Taylor Swift has probably played more than anyone in tiny Nashville venues and county fairs.”