Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's small music venues.
He was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the top album of the past year.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots had in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from performances in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
Back when they received the trophy in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her award between multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, they gave their funds to the local youth club that supported their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said vocalist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several local spots in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
