Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which functions to save the UK's small music venues.
He was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The money assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from concerts in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they received the prize in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her award between multiple charities, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year the group contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," said artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust announced it had saved a couple of small stages in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
