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The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.

Fender was given the cheque on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the top album of the past year.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots had in his initial steps.

"I personally would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16% of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.

These funds assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.

Back when Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would give their winnings to the organization the charity.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her award across a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she shared with a publication.

Previously, they donated their prize money to the local youth club that supported their group, in addition to other local music groups.

Additionally winners that year they gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued several local spots in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The first in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the venues.