Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his third album the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
He has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in upgrading amenities and gear that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his award prize money to good deeds.
In the band earned the trophy in 1996 for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer she divided her bounty between several good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.
Previously, they contributed their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued two small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
