Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was awarded the award on October 16 as his latest record his work was declared the best record of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots had in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The notion that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
In they won the trophy in the year 1996 for their album their work, vocalist the singer announced that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist divided her prize across multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, alongside other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.
