Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his new release the album was named the top album of the previous year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds helped locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
Back when Pulp earned the award in the year 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Cocker announced that the band would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, musician the artist split her award across several charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she explained to a publication.
In recent years, they gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success touched the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT announced it had protected several small stages in the South East, by transferring them to local control.
The first in the city and the second in the city were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
