Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which works to save the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
He was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds supported venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues received financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has said.
Fender is among several artists to give his award prize money to worthy causes.
When the band received the prize in 1996 for their release their work, lead singer the singer declared that the band would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the community center that nurtured their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
