Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots music venues.
The star was awarded the prize on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to challenges caused by flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor funds to charitable organizations.
In they received the award in 1996 for their record the album, lead singer Cocker stated that the act would give their prize money to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist she shared her award among multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, alongside other local music groups.
And winners that year the group gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," said vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected several small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
