Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on 16 October as his latest record the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading amenities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from concerts in big venues backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
Back when the band won the award in 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician she divided her award across several good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
In recent years, they donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued two small stages in that region, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
