Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the MVT, which functions to save the Britain's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.
The donation assisted locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received funding support in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When the band earned the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, frontman the singer declared that the act would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
That year, musician she divided her prize across several charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," said vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The first in Southampton and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition program, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
