Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the MVT, which works to preserve the Britain's independent live music spots.
The star was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was declared the best record of the previous year.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.
"The concept that money from concerts in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In the band received the trophy in 1996 for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, artist she divided her bounty among several charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year the group donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the trust announced it had saved several small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
