Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k award cash to the MVT, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation helped locations that were facing possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
He is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
In they won the award in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
Two years ago, they donated their winnings to the local youth club that supported their act, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
