Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award winnings to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When the band earned the award in the mid-90s for their release the album, lead singer Cocker declared that the band would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty among multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Previously, the band contributed their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients they gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had protected several small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.
The first in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
