Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the award on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
He has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots had in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The donation assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations received financial assistance in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When they earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman the singer declared that the act would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her prize across a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Previously, they contributed their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they donated their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had rescued several small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
