Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25k award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
The star was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots had in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.
The donation helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from concerts in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," the star has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
When they earned the award in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their prize money to the organization the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer she split her prize between multiple good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she told the media.
Previously, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT announced it had protected two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.
