Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's independent music venues.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The money helped venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues received funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
He is among several artists to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
In the band won the trophy in 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician the artist split her award between multiple organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
Two years ago, the band contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients they contributed their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had saved a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
