Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
The star was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots played in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.
The donation supported venues that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted funding support in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
In Pulp received the prize in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the band would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her award between several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," she told outlets.
Previously, the band gave their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Recently, the trust announced it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in the city were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by a national body and music fans who buy "stakes" in the venues.
