Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's small music venues.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds assisted spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges arising from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading amenities and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
Back when the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, artist the artist split her award between a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had saved a couple of local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
