Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in improving amenities and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," the star has stated.
He is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to charitable organizations.
When Pulp received the trophy in 1996 for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist shared her prize across multiple charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist shared with outlets.
In recent years, they contributed their winnings to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the other in the city were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "stakes" in the properties.
