Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25k award cash to the MVT, which functions to save the UK's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the award in the year 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Cocker stated that the band would donate their winnings to the organization the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her award across several organizations, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a grand to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist told a publication.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in the city and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
