Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's small music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.
The donation supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained funding support in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.
When the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman Cocker stated that the act would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, musician the artist divided her award across several charities, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
In recent years, the band gave their funds to the community center that developed their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
