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Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the Britain's small concert spaces.

He was given the award on mid-October as his new release his work was named the best record of the previous year.

The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band 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 ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Some locations received monetary aid in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and audiences.

"The notion that money from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has said.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.

When Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.

That year, musician the artist divided her award among several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," 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 grassroots music organisations.

And 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Winning was ample," remarked artist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success affected another person's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under local control.

The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.