Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25k award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
He was given the award on October 16 as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.
"The idea that revenue from performances in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
Back when the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her bounty among a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said artist Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved a couple of small stages in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in the city and the other in the city were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the buildings.
