Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
The star was given the prize on mid-October as his third album his work was named the top album of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
He also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.
These funds assisted venues that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges caused by floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations received financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and audiences.
"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In Pulp won the prize in 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker announced that the group would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between a few good causes, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she told outlets.
Two years ago, the band contributed their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved several local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.
