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The star has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots live music spots.

The star was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his new release his work was declared the best record of the previous year.

He has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his initial steps.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.

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

The donation supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that revenue from concerts in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.

Fender is not the first artist to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.

Back when they earned the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, lead singer the singer declared that the act would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her prize across a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.

Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.