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Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.

He was given the award on October 16 as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the previous year.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16% of the total UK scene.

In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also joined in, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped musicians and audiences.

"The concept that revenue from shows in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to charitable organizations.

Back when Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.

In 2002, artist the artist shared her bounty among a few good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," she shared with the media.

Previously, the band contributed their winnings to the community center that supported their act, alongside other independent music bodies.

Also winners that year M People donated their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched another person's life."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by a national body and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.