Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was awarded the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his live tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
Back when the band received the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the act would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician she divided her bounty among several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, they donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," stated singer Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved two local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in that area and the other in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
