Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's small concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his third album the album was declared the best record of the past year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 small stages across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the award in 1996 for their record their work, frontman Cocker stated that the act would give their prize money to the charity the charity.
That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her award between several charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, they gave their funds to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients M People gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.
