Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
He has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The donation supported locations that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues received funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to donate his award funds to charitable organizations.
In Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
That year, artist she split her award among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, they donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, alongside other local music groups.
And 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The first in that area and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.
