Beyond the critical acclaim and handy sales boost, the U.K.’s Mercury Prize comes with an added bonus: a £25,000 ($32,000) cash prize for the chosen artist. For some previous winners – like Alt-J (2012) and Antony and The Johnsons (2015) – the money has covered the expenses of being a touring act, while Badly Drawn Boy (2000) infamously threw the cheque away in the heat of the winning moment (his cash prize was ultimately honored).

Now Sam Fender has joined a number of past winners by making a statement and donating the entirety of the cash prize to charity. The Music Venue Trust, a charity that supports grassroots music spaces and the scene as a whole, will be the beneficiary of Fender’s generosity. Fender joins previous winners such as Ms. Dynamite (2002) and M People (1994) who have ma

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