Sam Fender donates his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to grassroots gig venues

North Shields heartlands rocker Sam Fender has donated his entire £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venue Trust (MVT) to support its ongoing work protecting and securing the future of grassroots gig venues across the country.

Sam Fender won the Mercury Prize on Thursday 16th October at Newcastle Utilita Arena with his acclaimed third studio album ‘People Watching’, fighting off stiff competition from the likes of Wolf Alice, Pulp and Fontaines DC.

Four weeks on, Sam has given his £25,000 prize money to the MVT in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his 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,” says Sam. “These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”

Mark Davyd, CEO and founder of Music Venue Trust, adds: “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.”

31-year-old Sam previously raised £100,000 for the Music Venue Trust through ticket sales on his 2024 arena tour. The money was used to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

Over the summer, Coldplay donated 10% of all their proceeds for their Hull Craven Park Stadium and London Wembley Stadium shows to the Music Venue Trust.

The 2025 Mercury Prize shortlist:

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