Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was named the best record of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds supported venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
When Pulp won the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer stated that the band would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her prize across multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that supported their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT shared it had protected a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
