Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the Britain's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with possible closure due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
He is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to good deeds.
When Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty among several good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," she explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year the group donated their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
