Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's small concert spaces.
He was given the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues received financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The idea that money from concerts in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
When the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would give their prize money to the organization the charity.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between several charities, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," the artist told outlets.
In recent years, the band donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked artist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected another person's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the properties.
