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The star has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to preserve the UK's small music venues.

He was given the prize on October 16 as his new release the album was chosen as the best record of the past year.

He has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.

"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.

Recently, top acts such as 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 ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Some locations received monetary aid in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.

"The notion that funds from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.

He is among several artists to give his honor funds to good deeds.

When they won the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award across several charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told a publication.

Two years ago, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Also winners that year they contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.

"Receiving the award was ample," said vocalist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success impacted somebody else's life."

Recently, the trust announced it had saved two small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The first in that area and The Croft in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.