Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the UK's small music venues.
The star was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The donation supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in improving amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that money from concerts in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
In the band earned the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, lead singer the singer declared that the band would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her prize between multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she explained to a publication.
Previously, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
And winners that year M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
