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The star has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's small live music spots.

Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the past year.

He has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

He also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across the UK.

The money helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces received funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

He is far from the only musician to give his award winnings to good deeds.

In they earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the band would donate their prize money to the organization the charity.

In 2002, artist she divided her award across several organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she shared with the media.

In recent years, they contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.

"Winning was ample," stated singer the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had protected a couple of local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.