Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which works to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages played in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to charitable organizations.
In Pulp received the trophy in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist the singer stated that the act would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize among multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," she explained to outlets.
In recent years, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Also winners that year they contributed their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," said vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
