Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's independent concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were facing possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received financial assistance in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from performances in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.
When Pulp earned the prize in the year 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, artist she split her bounty among multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she explained to a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the local youth club that supported their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued two grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
