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Friday, October 16, 2026
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The artist contributes his £25k prize award winnings to independent concert halls

The singer receiving Mercury Prize in his hometown
The musician received the Mercury Prize recently in Newcastle

The artist has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which works to save the UK's small concert spaces.

He was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was declared the top album of the past year.

The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots played in his early career.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

The money supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to issues arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.

"The idea that revenue from performances in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

The band Pulp in concert
Pulp are one of the many acts who contributed their Mercury Prize funds to charity

Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.

Back when they won the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their prize money to the charity the charity.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across several charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with the media.

Two years ago, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other local music groups.

Also 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was quite enough," stated artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in the city and The Croft in the city were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.

About the author

Amanda Strickland

Award-winning journalist specializing in political analysis and cultural trends with over a decade of experience.

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