Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the UK's grassroots live music spots.
The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was declared the top album of the past year.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman Cocker announced that the band would donate their winnings to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist she shared her award between multiple organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist told the media.
Previously, they donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners they gave their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked singer the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
