Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small music venues.
He was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his new release his work was named the best record of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 local spots across Britain.
These funds helped spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The concept that money from performances in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, frontman Cocker declared that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Winning was ample," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success affected another person's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued several grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to local control.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
