Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
The star was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his new release the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots had in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted locations that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to charitable organizations.
Back when the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer stated that the act would contribute their winnings to the organization the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her award among multiple charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that developed their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under local control.
One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the public acquisition program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.