Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots had in his early career.
"I would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received funding support in modernizing infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The notion that funds from performances in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the prize in 1996 for their release the album, frontman the singer stated that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, musician the artist split her award across multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted another person's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of small stages in the South East, by transferring them to local control.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
