Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
The star was presented with the prize on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the best record of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported locations that were facing possible closure due to issues stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and fans.
"The concept that funds from shows in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would donate their winnings to the organization the charity.
In 2002, musician the artist divided her bounty between several charities, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the youth organization that supported their band, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated singer Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had rescued two small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who buy "stakes" in the venues.
