Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which works to save the Britain's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in modernizing facilities and gear that helped performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award funds to good deeds.
Back when the band earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
In 2002, musician the artist divided her bounty among multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
In recent years, they contributed their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved two small stages in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the buildings.
