Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his third album the album was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played 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 did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues received financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to good deeds.
Back when Pulp received the prize in 1996 for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would give their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between multiple charities, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had protected several small stages in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the other in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
