Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
He was awarded the prize on 16 October as his new release his work was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous grassroots venues across the UK.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges caused by flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that helped artists and audiences.
"The concept that funds from performances in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," the star has said.
He is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
In the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist the artist divided her bounty between several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," the artist told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the youth organization that developed their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners they contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"The victory was ample," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
One venue in the city and The Croft in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.
