Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
He was given the prize on 16 October as his new release the album was named the best record of the past year.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
He also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The money supported locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to donate his honor funds to good deeds.
When the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her award among several charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners they donated their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
