Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the UK's small music venues.
The star was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album the album was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots had in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
He also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
These funds assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and fans.
"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the award in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her bounty among several charities, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had saved a couple of small stages in that region, by transferring them to local control.
One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "stakes" in the properties.
