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The musician contributes £25,000 cash award to small live spaces

The singer receiving the award in the North East
The musician won the honor in October in his hometown

The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25k award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.

The star was presented with the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was named the best record of the previous year.

Fender has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his early career.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.

These funds helped venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues arising from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.

"The concept that revenue from performances in major spaces supports the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

The band Pulp on stage
The group are one example who gave their honor funds to good causes

Fender is among several artists to give his honor winnings to good deeds.

Back when the band received the prize in 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Cocker stated that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.

That year, musician Ms Dynamite divided her award between several charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Two years ago, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the disease.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.

One venue in the city and the other in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by a national body and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.

Written by

Mark Rogers

A tech journalist specializing in gaming hardware and software, with over a decade of experience covering the slot machine industry.

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