Singer Sam Fender donates £25,000 to help small music venues around the UK

Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize in his hometown of Newcastle in October

Musician Sam Fender has announced he is donating all the money he received for winning the Mercury Music prize, to small venues around the UK.

The Music Venue Trust (MVT) charity acts to protect and improve grassroots music venues around the country.

The singer picked up the award last month, as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.

He said he wanted to give back to the concert halls where he started his career.

Fender won the famous music prize in October in an award ceremony held in Newcastle - the first time the event had been held outside London.

It's now been announced that the musician will donate his entire £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), which works to support the UK's samller music venues.

Fender explained: "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," he added.

Since the beginning of 2023, more than 150 small venues have had to permanently close.

As a result, some big artists such as Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry have recently started adding a small charge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

"The idea that money from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.