Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award prize money to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his third album his work was named the best record of the past year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.
The donation supported locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations received funding support in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and fans.
"The notion that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
When Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, frontman the singer declared that the band would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," she shared with outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the youth organization that supported their act, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in that area and The Croft in the city were acquired under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
