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Thursday, October 15, 2026
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The musician gives his £25k prize award winnings to independent music venues

The artist accepting the award in his hometown
He was awarded the prestigious award recently in the North East

The star has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the UK's small concert spaces.

He was given the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money supported spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.

Other venues were granted funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and audiences.

"The notion that money from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

The band Pulp performing
The group are among the artists who gave their award winnings to good causes

He is far from the only musician to give his award funds to worthy causes.

Back when they received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist the singer stated that the band would give their prize money to the organization War Child.

During 2002, musician the artist divided her award across a few charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to outlets.

Two years ago, the band donated their funds to the local youth club that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected the lives of others."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.

By

Sandra Reed

A passionate mountaineer and certified guide with over a decade of experience scaling peaks worldwide.

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