Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
The star was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his third album his work 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 vital role local spots played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 small stages across Britain.
The money supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations received monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that helped artists and audiences.
"The concept that funds from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," the star has stated.
He is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
In the band earned the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her award across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, the band gave their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"Winning was ample," said artist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success impacted another person's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.
One venue in the city and the other in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
