Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which functions to save the Britain's independent music venues.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role local spots had in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.
The money helped venues that were facing possible closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted funding support in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that money from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band received the prize in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
That year, artist the artist shared her award between several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she told the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they contributed their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said vocalist the singer. "The money was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
