Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the Britain's small music venues.
The star was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer the singer declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her award between multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," the artist shared with outlets.
Two years ago, the band contributed their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were bought under the public acquisition program, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
