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The star has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which functions to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.

He was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots had in his early career.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous local spots across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and fans.

"The idea that money from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

The musician is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.

In Pulp received the award in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty between multiple good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," she explained to a publication.

In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.

Additionally winners that year the group gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was ample," remarked artist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT shared it had rescued a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to local control.

One venue in that area and the other in the city were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.