Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
The star was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The money assisted spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues received monetary aid in improving facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.
In the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician she divided her bounty among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," the artist shared with the media.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners they gave their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The first in that area and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.
