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The star has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the UK's independent concert spaces.

Fender was given the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the best record of the previous year.

Fender has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues had in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.

Fender also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.

These funds supported venues that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.

"The notion that funds from concerts in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.

Back when the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the organization War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty between a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she told the media.

Previously, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year they donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.

"The victory was ample," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success affected another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT shared it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under local control.

The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the venues.