Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.
He was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds assisted spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from concerts in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, frontman Cocker announced that the act would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty among multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," the artist shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked singer Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
