Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the MVT, which functions to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the past year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages had in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.
The money helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues stemming from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in improving amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band received the trophy in 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer announced that the act would give their winnings to the charity the charity.
During 2002, artist the artist split her prize across several good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a grand to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, they gave their funds to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners M People gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked vocalist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.
