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The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.

He has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.

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

The money helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and audiences.

"The concept that money from shows in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.

Back when they received the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their prize money to the non-profit the charity.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite divided her prize between multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.

In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the local youth club that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year they donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Winning was ample," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust announced it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to local control.

The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.