Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was given the prize on 16 October as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his early career.
"I would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
He also participated, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The money helped spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
In the band won the award in 1996 for their release the album, frontman the singer declared that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist shared her prize among multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she explained to the media.
In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, alongside other local music groups.
And winners that year the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success touched another person's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by transferring them to local control.
One venue in that area and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
