Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
These funds helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations received funding support in improving amenities and gear that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The idea that money from concerts in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award winnings to good deeds.
When the band earned the prize in 1996 for their release their work, frontman the singer announced that the act would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist shared her prize between several good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," she told the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the trust announced it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the venues.
