Sam Fender Donates Mercury Prize Winnings to Support Grassroots Music Venues

Sam Fender, the North Shields singer-songwriter, has pledged his £25,000 winnings from the 2025 Mercury Prize to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), an organization dedicated to preserving the UK's grassroots music venues. Fender won the prestigious award for his third album, *People Watching*, during a ceremony held in Newcastle on October 16, 2025. In his announcement, he emphasized the importance of these venues in his early career, stating, “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. These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”

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The MVT has been actively campaigning for the survival of small music venues across the UK, which have faced significant challenges in recent years. Since the beginning of 2023, over 150 grassroots venues have permanently closed, representing approximately 16% of the sector. The organization has been advocating for a £1 levy on tickets for concerts with a capacity over 5,000, which would be reinvested into smaller venues. This initiative has received support from notable artists, including Coldplay and Katy Perry, and the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport has expressed its backing for the scheme.

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Fender's donation is not his first act of support for grassroots venues. His 2024 arena tour raised more than £100,000, which was distributed by MVT to assist 38 venues across England, Scotland, and Wales. The funds have been utilized to address various challenges faced by these venues, including financial difficulties stemming from floods, fires, and licensing issues. Mark Davyd, CEO of MVT, praised Fender's latest donation, calling it “an incredible gesture” that highlights artists' understanding of the vital role these venues play in their careers and communities.

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Fender's commitment to supporting grassroots music venues reflects a growing trend among artists to give back to the communities that helped launch their careers. Other Mercury Prize winners, such as Pulp and Ms Dynamite, have similarly donated their winnings to charitable causes. This trend underscores the importance of grassroots venues not only as performance spaces but also as cultural hubs that foster emerging talent.

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• “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. These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.” — Sam Fender

“An incredible gesture, demonstrating once again that artists absolutely understand how vital grassroots music venues are to their careers and to their communities”: Sam Fender to donate his Mercury w

• “Mark Davyd, Chief Executive and Founder of MVT, said: "This is an incredible gesture by Sam, demonstrating once again that artists absolutely understand how vital grassroots music venues are to their careers and to their communities.” — Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

Sam Fender's donation to the Music Venue Trust serves as a significant reminder of the challenges facing grassroots music venues in the UK and the crucial role artists play in supporting them. As the music industry continues to evolve, initiatives like Fender's highlight the importance of community and the need to preserve spaces that nurture new talent.

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