Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the MVT, which works to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations were granted funding support in upgrading infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that revenue from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
Back when Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her bounty between a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that developed their act, alongside other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was ample," remarked artist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "shares" in the buildings.