Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the UK's grassroots music venues.
He was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that funds from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
When the band won the award in 1996 for their album their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician she shared her bounty between several charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners they donated their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had rescued a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
