Sam Fender donates twenty-five thousand pounds award winnings to independent concert halls
Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
The star was presented with the award on mid-October as his latest record his work was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to donate his award prize money to good deeds.
In the band won the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, frontman Cocker declared that the band would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite divided her award among several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their prize to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."
Last week, the trust announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.