Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving facilities and gear that helped artists and audiences.
"The concept that money from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the award in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer declared that the band would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite shared her prize among a few good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved two small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.
The first in the city and The Croft in the city were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the venues.
