Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's independent music venues.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
The money helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and gear that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist the artist divided her bounty among several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners they contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," stated singer Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
