Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his third album the album was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part small stages had 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 performed around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
The money helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in improving amenities and technical equipment that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor winnings to worthy causes.
Back when they won the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity the charity.
That year, musician the artist divided her bounty across multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, they contributed their winnings to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
