Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's small music venues.
He was presented with the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his live tour to support thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When the band won the award in the mid-90s for their release the album, frontman the singer stated that the act would donate their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty among a few organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners they donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
