Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's small music venues.
He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," the star has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
When they won the prize in 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would give their prize money to the charity the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her award between multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
Previously, they gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners M People donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in that area and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.
