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The star has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the MVT, which operates to preserve the UK's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his new release his work was declared the best record of the previous year.

He has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

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

Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.

The donation assisted locations that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and fans.

"The concept that revenue from concerts in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.

Fender is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.

In the band won the trophy in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer the singer announced that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her prize across several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist told a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.

Also winners that year the group donated their prize to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.

"The victory was quite enough," stated singer Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched somebody else's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to local control.

One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the venues.