Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
He was awarded the award on October 16 as his new release the album was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped spaces that were facing imminent closure due to challenges stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from concerts in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.
In Pulp earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their album their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.
That year, rapper and singer she shared her bounty across a few charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," the artist shared with a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients M People contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had protected several small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.
