Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the Britain's small concert spaces.
The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The money supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that money from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.
In Pulp won the trophy in 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer announced that the group would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across a few good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to the media.
Two years ago, the band gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People donated their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
