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The artist has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the UK's small live music spots.

The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.

The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.

Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues stemming from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted funding support in modernizing infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.

The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

When the band won the award in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist Cocker announced that the group would donate their winnings to the organization the charity.

During 2002, artist the artist shared her prize between multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that developed their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

And winners that year the group gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.

"Winning was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.

One venue in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.