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The artist has given the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots music venues.

The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.

"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight local spots across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Some locations received funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and fans.

"The concept that money from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.

In they earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would donate their cash to the organization War Child.

That year, artist she split her prize between multiple organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," she shared with a publication.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other local music groups.

Additionally winners that year M People contributed their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.

"The victory was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the trust shared it had protected a couple of local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.

The first in that area and The Croft in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.