Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
Fender was presented with the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages played in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The donation helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in improving facilities and gear that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor funds to charitable organizations.
In the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist the singer declared that the act would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician she divided her award across multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," she explained to the media.
Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
