Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which works to protect the UK's independent music venues.
The star was given the prize on 16 October as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
He also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The money helped locations that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues received financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from shows in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
In they earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, musician she shared her award among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year they donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued two small stages in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
