Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album the album was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted venues that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that funds from performances in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In they received the award in 1996 for their release the album, frontman Cocker declared that the group would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist divided her prize among a few organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
Previously, the band contributed their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
