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The star has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's independent music venues.

He was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the past year.

Fender has opted to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages played in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 small stages across Britain.

These funds assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving facilities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.

"The notion that money from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.

He is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.

When Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their release their work, frontman the singer stated that the act would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her prize across a few organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the illness.

"Winning was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected the lives of others."

Last week, the MVT announced it had protected two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

One venue in Southampton and The Croft in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the properties.