Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which functions to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.
The donation assisted locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that money from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
When the band earned the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her award across several organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, the band gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners they contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said artist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the second in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
