Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the UK's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was given the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots played in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his live tour to assist 38 local spots across the UK.
The money supported locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and gear that helped musicians and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
Back when Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer the singer stated that the band would donate their winnings to the charity the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her award between multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners M People gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of small stages in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.
