Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the UK's independent concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the award on October 16 as his third album his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part local spots had in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The idea that funds from performances in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the act would contribute their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist the artist split her award between several organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," the artist told a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was ample," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.
