Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's grassroots music venues.
He was awarded the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that money from performances in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they earned the prize in 1996 for their album the album, vocalist the singer announced that the band would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she divided her award among several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, they donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
And winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said vocalist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the venues.
