Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
The star was awarded the award on October 16 as his latest record his work was named the top album of the previous year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to issues arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and audiences.
"The concept that funds from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
The musician is not the first artist to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.
In Pulp earned the award in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman the singer declared that the group would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, artist she divided her bounty across several organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," the artist told a publication.
Previously, the band donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated vocalist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had protected several small stages in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were bought under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.
