Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the Britain's small concert spaces.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
These funds helped locations that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in improving amenities and gear that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist split her bounty between multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she explained to the media.
Two years ago, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "shares" in the venues.
