Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages had in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
He also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.
Back when they earned the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would donate their winnings to the organization the charity.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her award between multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist told the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that developed their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had protected several small stages in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
