Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's grassroots music venues.
He was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in improving facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The idea that money from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to give his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their record the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician she divided her award across multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she explained to the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected several small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the second in the city were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "shares" in the venues.
