Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
He was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the best record of the past year.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations received funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his award funds to good deeds.
Back when they won the trophy in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman Cocker declared that the band would give their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
That year, artist she divided her bounty among several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," stated singer Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected another person's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the second in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
