Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which works to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
He has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function small stages played in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, top acts including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
He also joined in, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The donation assisted spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to issues arising from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues received funding support in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from shows in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
When Pulp won the trophy in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, vocalist the singer stated that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty among a few good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that developed their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners M People gave their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had saved several grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the second in the city were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
