Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received funding support in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped performers and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
In the band earned the trophy in 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Cocker stated that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist she split her prize among multiple charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the community center that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners they contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"The victory was ample," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under local control.
One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
