Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also joined in, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 local spots across Britain.
The donation supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained funding support in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When the band received the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Cocker stated that the group would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, artist the artist shared her prize among a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that supported their act, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT shared it had rescued several local spots in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
