Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his new release his work was declared the best record of the previous year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and audiences.
"The idea that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to donate his honor funds to worthy causes.
When Pulp received the trophy in 1996 for their album their work, frontman Cocker announced that the act would give their winnings to the organization the charity.
That year, artist she shared her bounty between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," she told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that supported their band, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year they contributed their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
