Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25k award prize money to the MVT, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was presented with the prize on October 16 as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist 38 local spots across Britain.
The money supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The idea that funds from concerts in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
He is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.
Back when Pulp received the trophy in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist the artist divided her prize across multiple charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," the artist explained to the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And winners that year M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
