Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to preserve the Britain's independent concert spaces.
Fender was given the prize on 16 October as his new release the album was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, musician she split her prize between multiple organizations, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," she shared with the media.
In recent years, they contributed their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had rescued several local spots in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The first in Southampton and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by a national body and music fans who buy "shares" in the buildings.
