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Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's small concert spaces.

The star was presented with the prize on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

The musician has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.

"I personally would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.

"The concept that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

He is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.

Back when the band earned the award in 1996 for their record the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty across multiple good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she told outlets.

Previously, they donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.

Also the 1994 recipients the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"The victory was ample," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in the city and the other in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.