Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small music venues.
He was awarded the prize on 16 October as his latest record his work was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role small stages had in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted locations that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
He is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
When they won the award in the year 1996 for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist she divided her prize among a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she told outlets.
Two years ago, the band contributed their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year the group contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"The victory was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
