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The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to save the UK's independent live music spots.

Fender was given the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.

He also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.

These funds supported venues that were facing possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces were granted funding support in upgrading amenities and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.

Fender is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.

When they received the trophy in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.

That year, artist the artist split her prize among multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the community center that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected several small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

One venue in Southampton and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.