🔗 Share this article

Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the trust for venues, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.

Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages played in his beginning days.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the performances I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

He also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.

The donation supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.

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

The musician is far from the only musician to give his award winnings to worthy causes.

When Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her award between several charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," she told outlets.

Two years ago, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients M People gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the condition.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had protected several small stages in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The first in Southampton and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the venues.