Music Charity 'Honoured' After Sam Fender Donates Entire Mercury Prize Winnings

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/6912e8d915000032649c2d38.jpg?cache=lpwMlESjw6&ops=crop_0_266_3269_1948%2Cscalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Sam Fender on stage in Denmark over the summer" data-caption="Sam Fender on stage in Denmark over the summer" data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/SOPA Images/Shutterstock" />Sam Fender on stage in Denmark over the summer</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p><span style="font-weight:400"><a href="news/sam-fender/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sam Fender</a> has announced he is donating his entire <a href="news/mercury-prize/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mercury Prize</a> winnings to an organisation aiming to fund and preserve some of the UK’s smaller, grassroots music venues.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400">Each year, the Mercury Prize is awarded to the British or Irish artist decided by a judging panel to have released the best album of the past year, with the winner receiving a cash prize of £25,000.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400">Back in October, Sam was awarded the title for his third album People Watching, with the likes of CMAT, FKA Twigs, Pulp, Fontaines D.C., Wolf Alice and PinkPantheress also in the running for this year’s prize.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400">On Tuesday morning, the Seventeen Going Under singer announced his intention to give his £25,000 prize money to the registered charity the <a href="https://www.musicvenuetrust.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Music Venue Trust</a> (MVT), which says it “acts to protect, secure and improve UK Grassroots