Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the UK's independent concert spaces.
He was given the cheque on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing 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 starting out," said the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
He also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped venues that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his award winnings to good deeds.
Back when they received the prize in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she divided her award between multiple good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," she shared with outlets.
In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year they gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in Southampton and the other in the city were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
