Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the UK's small concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I played around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 local spots across Britain.
The money helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
When Pulp received the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, musician the artist shared her prize between a few organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a grand to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, alongside other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was identified with the condition.
"The victory was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued several grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
