Breadcrumb Home News Sam Fender Tour Raises £50,000 For Yo... Sam Fender Tour Raises £50,000 for Youth Music Posted: 24/03/2026 Copy URL https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/sam-fender-tour-donation Sam Fender Tour Raises £50,000 for Youth Music Posted: 24/03/2026 Copy URL https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/sam-fender-tour-donation BRIT Award-winning musician Sam Fender has donated £50,000 to Youth Music through ticket donations from his recent 'People Watching Tour'.Earlier in his career, Fender was supported by Generator, a North East project funded by Youth Music.The money will be match funded through our 'Rescue the Roots' campaign - a £2 million fundraising drive to protect the future of grassroots youth music projects across the UK. And the total sum, £100,000, will be go directly to music projects reaching young people in the North East. Youth Music already invests £866,000 each year in grassroots youth projects and emerging talent across the North East, supporting 23 organisations and individuals. I’m proud to support Youth Music and their ‘Rescue the Roots’ campaign. Help for young people in The Arts is scarce - projects like these are so important. Sam Fender The investment tackles persistent regional inequalities highlighted in our Sound of the Next Generation (SONG) report: only half (52%) of young people in the north of England see themselves as musical in comparison to 62% of people in the south.The findings point to ongoing structural barriers outside of London, including fewer local industry connections, less access to decision-makers, and limited opportunities to perform and progress. We’re incredibly grateful to Sam for choosing to support Youth Music and young people in the North East. Music can change young people’s lives, but too many still face barriers to accessing it, just because of where they live. This crucial funding will help ensure opportunity isn’t dictated by postcode. It’s really encouraging to see more and more successful artists giving back to grassroots music, which is often where they learn their craft. Carol Reid Interim Co-CEO, Youth Music Find out more about 'Rescue the Roots' Latest News news Festival Season: Where to Catch Our NextGen This Summer Festival season is in full swing. Here's where to find the next wave of talent as Youth Music's NextGen artists take over stages across the UK & Europe this summer. Read more news The Social Media Ban for under-16s Highlights the Need For Grassroots Youth Music Spaces A proposed social media ban for under-16s highlights the urgent need to protect grassroots youth music spaces and creative opportunities. Read more news The Youth Music Awards go to Liverpool for the first time The Youth Music Awards are heading to Liverpool for the first time, with Wingstop joining as headline sponsor to celebrate the UK's next generation of grassroots music talent. Read more news Our Response to the Skills Crisis Reports: What's Still Missing Two major reports highlight skills shortages and barriers facing young people, but both miss a crucial part of the picture. Read Youth Music’s response and our call for investment across the whole music ecosystem. Read more news Music Law 101: Legal Essentials for Young Creatives June's NextGen Community event with Amazon and Morrison Foerster gave young creatives a masterclass in music law. Catch the key tips on contracts, royalties, sync and protecting your rights from top entertainment lawyers. Read more news Youth Music Seeks PR Agency for Youth Music Awards 2026 We are seeking a partner to deliver a high-impact PR campaign for the Youth Music Awards 2026. Read more news Pride Month: Finding Rainbows Through the Noise This Pride Month, read Youth Music NextGen writer N. Shehzad's story of queerness, identity, and belonging in punk and metal scenes, exploring how music offers both escape and resistance. Read more news Young People Are Telling Us What They Need from Music Youth Music’s evidence to the Young Creatives Commission shows over 100,000 young people want greater access to music and creativity, but the system is letting them down. Read more news Meet The Recipients of Beatport Funding We’ve teamed up with Beatport to support the next generation of young DJs, producers and electronic music makers across the UK. Read more news Youth Music at The Great Escape 2026 Across three days at The Great Escape 2026, we caught incredible live performances from Youth Music NextGen Fund artists, and hosted a panel of music industry experts on nurturing regional music scenes. Read more View all latest news Prev Next
news Festival Season: Where to Catch Our NextGen This Summer Festival season is in full swing. Here's where to find the next wave of talent as Youth Music's NextGen artists take over stages across the UK & Europe this summer. Read more
news The Social Media Ban for under-16s Highlights the Need For Grassroots Youth Music Spaces A proposed social media ban for under-16s highlights the urgent need to protect grassroots youth music spaces and creative opportunities. Read more
news The Youth Music Awards go to Liverpool for the first time The Youth Music Awards are heading to Liverpool for the first time, with Wingstop joining as headline sponsor to celebrate the UK's next generation of grassroots music talent. Read more
news Our Response to the Skills Crisis Reports: What's Still Missing Two major reports highlight skills shortages and barriers facing young people, but both miss a crucial part of the picture. Read Youth Music’s response and our call for investment across the whole music ecosystem. Read more
news Music Law 101: Legal Essentials for Young Creatives June's NextGen Community event with Amazon and Morrison Foerster gave young creatives a masterclass in music law. Catch the key tips on contracts, royalties, sync and protecting your rights from top entertainment lawyers. Read more
news Youth Music Seeks PR Agency for Youth Music Awards 2026 We are seeking a partner to deliver a high-impact PR campaign for the Youth Music Awards 2026. Read more
news Pride Month: Finding Rainbows Through the Noise This Pride Month, read Youth Music NextGen writer N. Shehzad's story of queerness, identity, and belonging in punk and metal scenes, exploring how music offers both escape and resistance. Read more
news Young People Are Telling Us What They Need from Music Youth Music’s evidence to the Young Creatives Commission shows over 100,000 young people want greater access to music and creativity, but the system is letting them down. Read more
news Meet The Recipients of Beatport Funding We’ve teamed up with Beatport to support the next generation of young DJs, producers and electronic music makers across the UK. Read more
news Youth Music at The Great Escape 2026 Across three days at The Great Escape 2026, we caught incredible live performances from Youth Music NextGen Fund artists, and hosted a panel of music industry experts on nurturing regional music scenes. Read more
