Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.
Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The money helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
In Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman the singer declared that the group would contribute their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist she shared her prize between multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," said vocalist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
