Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which functions to save the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
The star was awarded the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous local spots across the UK.
The donation supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues caused by water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in large arenas helps the local stages, where it all starts 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 worthy causes.
When the band won the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she split her bounty among multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
In recent years, the band gave their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year they contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The first in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
