Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his latest record his work was named the outstanding release of the past year.
He has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.
The money supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from performances in big venues backs the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
When Pulp received the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, musician she split her award across a few charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist shared with outlets.
In recent years, they donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners M People donated their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted another person's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
