Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which functions to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was awarded the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The donation assisted venues that were confronting imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues received funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
The musician is among several artists to give his honor prize money to good deeds.
When the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Cocker declared that the band would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her prize between multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a grand to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," the artist told the media.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust announced it had saved several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the venues.
