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The artist has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.

Fender was given the cheque on mid-October as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.

He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

The money helped venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.

Some locations received funding support in improving facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The idea that money from concerts in big venues backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.

He is far from the only musician to give his award winnings to worthy causes.

When Pulp received the trophy in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their prize money to the charity the charity.

That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her award across a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with the media.

Two years ago, they donated their funds to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Also 1994 winners M People donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.

"The victory was quite enough," stated singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

Recently, the trust revealed it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and The Croft in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the properties.