Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was given the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
In they won the trophy in 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Cocker announced that the group would give their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her award among a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," she explained to the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People gave their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success touched another person's life."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had protected several local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
