Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's small concert spaces.
He was awarded the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation assisted venues that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues were granted funding support in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped performers and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In the band won the award in 1996 for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would give their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, musician she shared her bounty among a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," she explained to the media.
Two years ago, the band gave their winnings to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year they gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
