Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which works to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
He was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous local spots across the UK.
These funds helped venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges caused by floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The idea that funds from performances in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor funds to worthy causes.
Back when the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their release their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician the artist shared her prize among multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the local youth club that supported their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners M People gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated vocalist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
