Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the UK's independent live music spots.
Fender was presented with the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous local spots across the UK.
The donation assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and gear that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp won the prize in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, musician the artist shared her award between multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other local music groups.
And winners that year M People gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
