Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the Britain's small music venues.
He was given the award on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds supported spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The concept that funds from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
When Pulp received the award in 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her prize across several organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," she told outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of local spots in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
