Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
Fender was given the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the best record of the previous year.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the charity the charity.
During 2002, musician the artist split her bounty across several organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," she told the media.
Previously, the band donated their winnings to the community center that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners M People gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
