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The star has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's grassroots music venues.

Fender was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots had in his early career.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.

He also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations received financial assistance in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and fans.

"The idea that money from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

In they earned the prize in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the charity War Child.

That year, artist she divided her prize across several good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.

And 1994 winners they gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."

Last week, the MVT revealed it had protected several grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into local control.

The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "shares" in the venues.