Sam Fender has donated his entire £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to support “struggling” grassroots venues.
The singer-songwriter, from North Shields, said he wanted to show support for the Music Venue Trust and smaller venues, which provided a vital platform for him when he was starting out.
Fender was named the winner of this year’s Mercury Prize at a ceremony in his home city of Newcastle – the first time the event had ever been held outside London – in October, for his critically acclaimed third album, People Watching.
“I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out,” the 31-year-old said. “These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”
The Music Venue Trust, which represents hundreds of the UK’s grassroots venues, says they operated on a profit margin of just 0.48% in 2024, with more than one in four reporting a loss.
Fender previously helped to raise more than £100,000, which went to support 38 smaller venues across England, Scotland and Wales, through his 2024 arena tour.
Other artists, including Katy Perry, Coldplay, Pulp and Enter Shikari, have also adopted the grassroots levy, adding small amounts to ticket prices to donate to the sector. Larger venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London have also introduced the levy.
Since 2023, more than 150 smaller venues have been forced to close due to rising costs and the ongoing effects of the pandemic, according to the trust.
Mark Davyd, the charity’s founder and chief executive, said Fender donating the Mercury Prize winnings was “an incredible gesture”, showing that artists “absolutely understand how vital grassroots music venues are to their careers and to their communities”.
He continued: “We are honoured to accept this donation and will ensure every penny of it makes a direct difference to the campaign to keep live music at the heart of our towns and cities.”
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Fender beat artists including Fontaines DC, FKA Twigs and previous winners Pulp and Wolf Alice to pick up this year’s Mercury Prize. His second album, Seventeen Going Under, was also nominated in 2022, when the award was won by Little Simz.
Judges said People Watching felt “like a classic album, one that will take pride of place in record collections for years to come”.
