Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to save the UK's small live music spots.
Fender was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the top album of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role small stages played in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous local spots across the UK.
These funds assisted spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from concerts in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to charitable organizations.
When they won the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would donate their winnings to the charity the charity.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize between several charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," the artist explained to a publication.
Previously, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that supported their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked vocalist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust announced it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
