Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which operates to preserve the Britain's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from shows in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
When the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer declared that the band would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician she divided her prize between multiple charities, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," she told outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the local youth club that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The first in that area and the second in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.