Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the past year.
He has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous local spots across Britain.
The money supported spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in large arenas helps the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.
In the band won the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across several charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," she shared with outlets.
Previously, the band contributed their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners M People gave their award to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," stated singer Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The first in that area and the other in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
