Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's small concert spaces.
The star was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations were granted funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his award funds to worthy causes.
In Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their cash to the organization the charity.
During 2002, musician the artist shared her bounty between several organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
Previously, the band donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was ample," said vocalist Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two small stages in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The first in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the properties.
