Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his new release the album was declared the best record of the past year.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 local spots across Britain.
The donation helped spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving amenities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.
Back when they earned the award in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer announced that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, rapper and singer she divided her bounty among several charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year the group contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success affected another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved several small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
