🔗 Share this article The musician donates twenty-five thousand pounds cash award to grassroots live spaces He received the prestigious award last month in Newcastle Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's independent concert spaces. The star was given the award on 16 October as his new release his work was named the best record of the previous year. Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps. "I personally would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges." Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector. Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls. He also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 local spots across the UK. These funds assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections. Other venues were granted monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans. "The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said. Pulp are one example who contributed their award winnings to non-profits The musician is among several artists to donate his honor funds to worthy causes. When the band earned the award in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker announced that the act would give their prize money to the charity the charity. In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization. "And I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she shared with the media. Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies. Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was identified with the disease. "Receiving the award was ample," said artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life." In the past week, the trust revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership. The Joiners in the city and The Croft in the city were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the venues.