Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to save the UK's independent concert spaces.
He was given the award on 16 October as his new release his work was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
He has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
He also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported venues that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained funding support in improving facilities and gear that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
In the band earned the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician she shared her bounty between several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she told the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners M People gave their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated vocalist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in that area and The Croft in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
