Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
He was given the cheque on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
He has opted to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
He also joined in, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.
The donation helped spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in modernizing facilities and gear that helped performers and fans.
"The concept that funds from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his award funds to charitable organizations.
When they won the award in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker announced that the group would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician she divided her prize across multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
