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The artist has donated the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the UK's independent music venues.

Fender was given the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the past year.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

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

Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.

Other venues received funding support in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor funds to charitable organizations.

In the band received the award in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their prize money to the organization the charity.

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

"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she shared with outlets.

Previously, the band gave their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies.

Also winners that year M People gave their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.

"The victory was quite enough," stated artist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success touched another person's life."

Recently, the trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in that area and the second in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.