Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which works to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his new release the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the shows I played around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to assist numerous local spots across the UK.
These funds supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band earned the award in 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Cocker stated that the act would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her award among several charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," she told the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, as well as other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients they donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked singer Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT shared it had protected several small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.