Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his third album his work was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots had in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations received financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
In the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer the singer stated that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician she split her award among multiple good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in the city and The Croft in the city were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
