Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the Britain's small live music spots.
He was given the cheque on 16 October as his third album his work was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender 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 personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous local spots across the UK.
The donation supported locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted funding support in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp received the award in the year 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her prize between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, the band gave their winnings to the community center that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued two local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
