Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's independent concert spaces.
He was given the award on mid-October as his third album his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots played in his early career.
"I would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The notion that funds from concerts in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when they won the prize in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer declared that the act would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist shared her prize across multiple good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," the artist shared with outlets.
Two years ago, they donated their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had protected a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
