Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his honor funds to good deeds.
When the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist the singer declared that the act would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician she shared her bounty across multiple organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
Previously, they donated their prize money to the community center that developed their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success touched another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of small stages in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who buy "stakes" in the venues.