Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which functions to save the Britain's small live music spots.
The star was given the award on 16 October as his latest record his work was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
The donation helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations received funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The idea that funds from performances in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
Back when Pulp earned the prize in 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the band would give their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her award across multiple organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a grand to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with the media.
Previously, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
