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The star has given the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.

The star was awarded the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across Britain.

The money assisted locations that were facing possible closure due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.

Other venues were granted funding support in improving amenities and gear that helped artists and audiences.

"The concept that funds from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.

He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.

In they received the trophy in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Cocker declared that the act would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, musician she divided her prize among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.

Previously, the band contributed their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted somebody else's life."

Recently, the MVT announced it had saved two small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.