Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's grassroots music venues.
He was presented with the prize on 16 October as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to charitable organizations.
In they won the trophy in 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," she told a publication.
In recent years, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that supported their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"The victory was ample," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
