Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was awarded the award on 16 October as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, top acts such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted funding support in upgrading facilities and gear that helped musicians and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
Back when they received the prize in the mid-90s for their record the album, lead singer Cocker announced that the group would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize between several good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Previously, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year they contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved several grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in the city and the second in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
