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Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the UK's independent music venues.

Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album his work was named the top album of the past year.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.

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

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

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

The donation assisted locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and audiences.

"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.

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

In they earned the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.

That year, rapper and singer she split her award between a few good causes, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.

Previously, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Also winners that year the group donated their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"Winning was ample," said artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched the lives of others."

Recently, the MVT shared it had protected several local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the venues.