Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
The star was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds assisted spaces that were facing possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations received funding support in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from concerts in big venues helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
Back when the band received the trophy in 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the act would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, musician she divided her bounty among multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," she explained to the media.
Previously, they donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their act, in addition to other local music groups.
And 1994 winners the group donated their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted another person's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued several grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
