Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
Fender was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his live tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to give his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the act would give their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician she split her bounty among multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.
Previously, the band gave their prize money to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," stated artist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved two small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
