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The star has donated the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to save the Britain's small concert spaces.

Fender was awarded the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the previous year.

He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues had in his early career.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.

Sam Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation assisted venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.

"The notion that money from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

He is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.

In the band received the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit the charity.

In 2002, musician she split her prize across several good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," the artist shared with the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that developed their group, as well as other local music groups.

And 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"The victory was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

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