Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the best record of the previous year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
These funds supported venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The notion that money from concerts in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her prize between multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that developed their act, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the venues.
