Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record the album was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his live tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and fans.
"The notion that money from concerts in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the band would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she split her bounty between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.
In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that supported their act, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year the group contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"The victory was ample," remarked singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
