Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's independent music venues.
He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record the album was declared the best record of the past year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to give his award prize money to worthy causes.
Back when they won the award in 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize between several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist told the media.
Two years ago, they gave their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and the other in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
