Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which works to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was named the best record of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds supported locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is among several artists to give his honor funds to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist split her bounty among a few charities, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she shared with the media.
In recent years, the band gave their winnings to the community center that developed their band, alongside other local music groups.
Also winners that year the group contributed their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success affected another person's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "stakes" in the venues.
