Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
He was given the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the best record of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The money helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in upgrading amenities and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has said.
The musician is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.
Back when the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, lead singer Cocker declared that the band would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist shared her bounty across several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
Two years ago, they contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners they gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," stated artist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
