Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's small music venues.
The star was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages had in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
He also participated, raising over £100k on his live tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation helped locations that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues received financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his honor prize money to worthy causes.
Back when they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Cocker announced that the band would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," the artist told a publication.
Previously, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their act, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Winning was ample," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had protected a couple of local spots in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
