Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was awarded the prize on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds assisted locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues stemming from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in improving infrastructure and gear that helped musicians and audiences.
"The idea that funds from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
When Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman the singer stated that the group would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician she split her award across a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a grand to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."
Last week, the trust shared it had protected two grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
