Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's independent music venues.
The star was given the prize on 16 October as his third album the album was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds helped spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues stemming from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and fans.
"The notion that revenue from shows in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award winnings to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award among multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
In recent years, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.
And winners that year they gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," said vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in that area and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
