Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small music venues.
He was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record his work was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition 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 performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
The money supported locations that were facing possible closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in improving amenities and technical equipment that helped artists and audiences.
"The notion that money from shows in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to donate his award funds to charitable organizations.
In they won the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her award between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," stated artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched another person's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had protected several grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under local control.
One venue in Southampton and the other in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and music fans who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
