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The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.

The star was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was named the outstanding release of the previous year.

Fender has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues received financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and fans.

"The idea that revenue from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.

In Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.

That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her bounty between several good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she explained to outlets.

Previously, the band donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other local music groups.

And 1994 winners the group donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected the lives of others."

Recently, the trust shared it had rescued two small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.