Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots had in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from performances in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
In the band won the trophy in 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician she divided her prize among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to the media.
Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Winning was ample," remarked artist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the trust shared it had saved two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
