Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
He was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
He has opted to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the award in 1996 for their album their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the band would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer she divided her bounty between several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the local youth club that supported their act, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners M People donated their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," said vocalist the singer. "The money was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in the city were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.
