Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous local spots across Britain.
These funds supported venues that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to good deeds.
When Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the band would contribute their winnings to the charity the charity.
During 2002, artist she divided her award across a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued several local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
