Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which works to preserve the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading amenities and gear that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When the band received the award in the year 1996 for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
In 2002, artist the artist split her bounty between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, they gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners they donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," said vocalist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The first in the city and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the venues.
