Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the award on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that helped musicians and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to give his award winnings to worthy causes.
Back when they received the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her prize across multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
Previously, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients they gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was ample," said artist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had protected two small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
