Musician Sam Fender has donated his Mercury Prize winnings to a charity which acts to protect and improve UK grassroots music venues.
The singer from North Shields, who won the award for his third studio album, People Watching, has given £25,000 to Music Venue Trust (MVT) in recognition of the role grassroots venues played in his early career.
Fender, 31, said: “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.”
Fender won the prize in October in an award ceremony held in Newcastle, marking the first time the event had been held outside London.
Among the other acts on the 12-album shortlist were indie rockers Wolf Alice, nominated for a fourth time for their album The Clearing, Irish singer CMAT for Euro-Country, post-punk rockers Fontaines DC for Romance, and veteran band Pulp for their eighth studio album More.
Fender, who found music as a child and released several singles independently before getting signed, has released three chart-topping albums – Hypersonic Missiles (2019), Seventeen Going Under (2021) and People Watching (2025).
His 2024 arena tour raised more than £100,000 for a fund, distributed by MVT, that supported 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
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.
“We are honoured to accept this donation and will ensure every penny of it makes a direct difference to the campaign to keep live music at the heart of our towns and cities.”
