Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's independent live music spots.
He was given the award on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the past year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
He also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
These funds supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman the singer declared that the act would donate their winnings to the organization the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award between a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that supported their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year the group contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two small stages in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
