Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which operates to save the UK's small live music spots.
He was given the award on mid-October as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also joined in, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.
The donation helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The notion that money from shows in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.
When the band received the award in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, musician she divided her prize across multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust shared it had protected two small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.
