Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the Britain's small music venues.
The star was awarded the prize on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the top album of the past year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.
The money helped locations that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
In they won the award in the year 1996 for their release their work, lead singer the singer stated that the band would give their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, rapper and singer she shared her award across several good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Previously, they contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in the city and the second in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the venues.
