The star has donated the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the previous year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
He also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from performances in big venues backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," the star has stated.
He is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
When the band won the trophy in 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer stated that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her award among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist told a publication.
Two years ago, they donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," stated artist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "shares" in the venues.
