Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to preserve the UK's grassroots music venues.
The star was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
He also participated, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in major spaces supports the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to give his honor prize money to good deeds.
In they won the award in the year 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would donate their winnings to the organization the charity.
During 2002, artist the artist split her bounty across several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
In recent years, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients they contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected several small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
