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The star has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.

He was given the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 small stages across the UK.

The money helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces obtained funding support in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.

"The concept that funds from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

Fender is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.

When Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the organization the charity.

That year, artist the artist shared her award across several organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," she shared with a publication.

Previously, they contributed their winnings to the local youth club that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.

Also winners that year the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"The victory was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.