Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's small concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was named the outstanding release of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to good deeds.
When they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her award among a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, as well as other local music groups.
And 1994 winners M People gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was identified with the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had saved several local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in that area and the second in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by a national body and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
