Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which works to preserve the Britain's independent music venues.
Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations were granted funding support in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
When the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their album the album, vocalist the singer declared that the band would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer she divided her award between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist told a publication.
Previously, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the venues.
