The artist gives £25,000 cash award to small music venues

The artist accepting his trophy in Newcastle
He was awarded the Mercury Prize in October in the North East

The artist has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.

He was given the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.

The money supported spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.

"The notion that money from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has said.

Pulp members on stage
The group are one of the many acts who contributed their honor prize money to charity

Fender is far from the only musician to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.

Back when they won the trophy in 1996 for their release their work, vocalist the singer declared that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, musician she divided her bounty between multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.

In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their group, as well as other local music groups.

Also 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.

"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory touched the lives of others."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by placing them under local control.

The first in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.

Alyssa Vasquez
Alyssa Vasquez

A seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in data-driven betting strategies and statistical modeling.

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