Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's small music venues.
Fender was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album his work was declared the best record of the past year.
He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
The money supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from shows in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his award prize money to good deeds.
In the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her bounty across multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that developed their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," said vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success touched another person's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
