Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
The star was presented with the prize on 16 October as his third album his work was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The money helped spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in modernizing facilities and gear that helped musicians and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
In they received the prize in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her prize among multiple good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that supported their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year the group contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Winning was ample," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had protected two local spots in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and the other in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
