Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the UK's grassroots music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his new release the album was named the best record of the previous year.
He has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported locations that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist the singer declared that the act would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician she shared her bounty among a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in the city were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.
