Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which works to protect the UK's small concert spaces.
The star was presented with the award on October 16 as his third album his work was named the best record of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots played in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
In they won the prize in the mid-90s for their record the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty among a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," she told a publication.
Previously, they donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year they donated their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated singer the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The first in that area and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by a national body and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.
