Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album the album was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
He also joined in, raising over £100k on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds assisted locations that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
He is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
When they received the prize in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Previously, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners they gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Winning was ample," said artist Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
