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

The artist receiving Mercury Prize in the North East
The musician received the honor last month in the North East

The star has given the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's independent music venues.

He was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the past year.

The musician has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.

Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Some locations received funding support in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from concerts in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has commented.

Pulp members on stage
They are one example who gave their honor winnings to non-profits

He is among several artists to contribute his award funds to charitable organizations.

Back when Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer the singer stated that the band would donate their prize money to the organization the charity.

That year, artist the artist split her bounty between several good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.

Previously, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.

"The victory was ample," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."

Recently, the trust revealed it had protected a couple of local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.

The first in that area and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is supported by a national body and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.

About the author

Denise Flowers

A royal historian with a PhD from Leiden University, specializing in European monarchies.

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