Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which works to protect the Britain's small music venues.
Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in big venues supports the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they earned the prize in the mid-90s for their album the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, musician she split her prize between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners they contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had protected two small stages in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and the other in the city were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
