Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the Britain's small concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his third album his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages had in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted spaces that were facing possible closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations received funding support in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to give his honor prize money to good deeds.
In they received the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their winnings to the charity the charity.
That year, artist she split her prize between a few good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she explained to the media.
Previously, the band gave their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, alongside other local music groups.
And 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked singer the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected another person's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved several grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
