Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was presented with the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges stemming from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The idea that funds from concerts in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When Pulp won the award in 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Cocker announced that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, musician the artist split her bounty among multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," the artist told outlets.
Previously, the band gave their prize money to the community center that developed their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.
"The victory was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning touched another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
