Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which operates to save the UK's small live music spots.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from performances in major spaces supports the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.
Back when Pulp won the trophy in the mid-90s for their record their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.
That year, artist she divided her bounty between multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"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 new equipment," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients the group contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had rescued two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the buildings.
