🔗 Share this article

The star has handed over the complete sum of his £25k award prize money to the MVT, which operates to preserve the Britain's independent live music spots.

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

He has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.

Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.

These funds assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and audiences.

"The notion that money from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.

In Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Cocker announced that the group would give their prize money to the charity War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer she split her prize across multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory touched somebody else's life."

In the past week, the MVT announced it had protected two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in that area and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.