Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which functions to save the Britain's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The notion that funds from shows in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has said.
He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.
When they received the award in 1996 for their record their work, frontman Cocker stated that the group would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize across several organizations, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that developed their act, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners they donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had protected two grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
