Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the Britain's grassroots music venues.
The star was awarded the award on 16 October as his new release his work was named the top album of the previous year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations received funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
That year, artist the artist split her prize across multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that supported their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
