Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his third album his work was named the top album of the past year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.
These funds helped locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges caused by floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted funding support in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their album the album, vocalist the singer declared that the band would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician the artist divided her prize among multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she shared with the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners they contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected two local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in the city were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
