Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his new release his work was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages played in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
He also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to support numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
Back when the band earned the trophy in 1996 for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist she split her award across a few good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, the band donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were bought under the public acquisition program, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
