Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The donation supported locations that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from performances in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the band would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she divided her bounty among a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT announced it had saved several small stages in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who acquire "shares" in the venues.
