Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that funds from concerts in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," the star has said.
The musician is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the act would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, rapper and singer the artist split her award between a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked vocalist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted another person's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had protected several small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
