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The star has donated the full amount of his £25k honor cash to the MVT, which works to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the top album of the past year.

Fender has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role local spots had in his beginning days.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.

Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.

The donation supported spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces were granted funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from performances in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.

When Pulp received the award in 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would give their prize money to the charity the charity.

That year, musician the artist split her prize among several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist shared with a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the community center that developed their band, as well as other independent music bodies.

And the 1994 recipients M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.

"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The first in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.