Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was presented with the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages played in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations received monetary aid in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from performances in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.
When they received the award in 1996 for their album their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her award across multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," said singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.
