Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the UK's small live music spots.
Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, 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.
He also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported locations that were dealing with possible closure due to issues arising from flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their prize money to the charity the charity.
That year, artist she shared her bounty between several good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in the city and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
