Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which functions to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his live tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues obtained funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas backs the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his award winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer stated that the act would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist she divided her prize among a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," the artist explained to a publication.
In recent years, they gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients they gave their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked artist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had protected several small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
