The artist has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
In the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, frontman Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her bounty among several good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she told the media.
In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved several grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the second in the city were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
