Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the outstanding release of the past year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
He also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The money assisted locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from shows in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to give his award prize money to good deeds.
When Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer announced that the band would give their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across a few organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
Two years ago, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success impacted another person's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had protected several local spots in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in that area and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
