Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was presented with the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
He has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.
The donation helped venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The idea that funds from shows in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
When the band received the prize in 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Cocker announced that the group would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she shared her award between multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," she told a publication.
Previously, the band gave their prize money to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year the group contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had saved several local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
