Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from concerts in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band received the prize in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer the singer stated that the band would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist divided her award between multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who buy "shares" in the buildings.
