Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.
The star was given the prize on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
He has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The money assisted locations that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges stemming from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer the singer stated that the band would give their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her award between a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the community center that supported their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved two local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the venues.
