North Shields musician Sam Fender has made a stunning charitable gesture, donating his entire £25,000 Mercury Prize award to a charity supporting grassroots music venues across the UK.
A Heartfelt Gesture to Grassroots Music
The Geordie star, who collected the prestigious award in Newcastle for his critically acclaimed album People Watching, announced he would be giving the prize money to the Music Venue Trust (MVT). Fender, 31, explained that the donation was in recognition of the vital role small venues played in his own early career.
"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," Fender said. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Building on a Year of Charitable Support
This latest act of generosity is part of a wider pattern of support from the artist. Fender had already given £100,000 to MVT in 2024, money raised from his arena tour. That fund, distributed via MVT's Pipeline Fund, directly supported 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Combined with the new Mercury Prize donation and a further £35,000 raised by fans for Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) during his European tour, the total charitable sum raised from Fender's recent global activities now stands at an impressive £160,000.
Voices of Appreciation
Mark Davyd, CEO and founder of Music Venue Trust, hailed the donation. "This is an incredible gesture by Sam," Davyd stated. "It demonstrates once again that artists absolutely understand how vital grassroots music venues are to their careers and to their communities. We are honoured to accept this donation and will ensure every penny of it makes a direct difference."
Doctors Without Borders also paid tribute to the star, thanking him for raising over £35,000 and for using his platform to draw public attention to the devastating situation in Palestine and the need for unhindered medical aid globally.
Fender's commitment to his roots was further highlighted this summer when he played a monumental final gig at St James' Park, which featured a special guest appearance from Newcastle United hero Dan Burn.
