Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from performances in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician she split her prize between multiple charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," the artist shared with a publication.
In recent years, they contributed their prize money to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners M People gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected another person's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
