Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was given the award on mid-October as his new release the album was named the top album of the past year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages had in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The concept that money from concerts in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award prize money to charitable organizations.
In the band earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the organization the charity.
That year, artist she shared her prize among a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist shared with a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year M People gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
