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Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.

The star was presented with the prize on October 16 as his third album his work was declared the best record of the previous year.

He has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his early career.

"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to issues stemming from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that revenue from performances in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.

The musician is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.

In Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

That year, musician the artist divided her award among multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to outlets.

In recent years, the band contributed their winnings to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year M People donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.

"Winning was ample," said artist Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."

Last week, the trust announced it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.