Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's small concert spaces.
The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
He has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
In Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her award across a few good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," she told a publication.
Two years ago, they donated their funds to the community center that supported their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was ample," stated singer Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.
One venue in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
