Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's small live music spots.
Fender was awarded the prize on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across Britain.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The notion that money from concerts in big venues helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the prize in the mid-90s for their release their work, frontman Cocker declared that the act would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist divided her bounty between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she shared with the media.
In recent years, the band gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Winning was ample," said singer Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in the city and the second in the city were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
