🔗 Share this article

The artist has given the entirety of his £25k award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.

Fender was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.

The donation assisted locations that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that helped performers and audiences.

"The concept that revenue from concerts in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

He is among several artists to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.

Back when Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, lead singer the singer announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award between multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," the artist told the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was quite enough," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the MVT announced it had rescued several small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

One venue in the city and the other in the city were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who buy "shares" in the buildings.