Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the UK's independent music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his third album his work was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I played around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges caused by floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
In they earned the award in 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty among several organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a grand to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Previously, the band contributed their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year they donated their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated artist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved two small stages in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in that area and the other in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "stakes" in the venues.
