Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the UK's independent live music spots.
The star was awarded the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 local spots across the UK.
These funds supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges caused by floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations received financial assistance in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
Back when they received the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Cocker declared that the act would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award among multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
In recent years, the band gave their prize money to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in the city were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
