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Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.

Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

The musician has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.

Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained monetary aid in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.

"The idea that money from shows in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.

Fender is among several artists to give his award winnings to good deeds.

Back when they won the prize in 1996 for their album the album, frontman the singer stated that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.

In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her award across a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Also 1994 winners they gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted another person's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.

One venue in that area and The Croft in the city were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.