The artist contributes twenty-five thousand pounds award winnings to independent live spaces

The artist has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.

He was given the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the previous year.

He has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also joined in, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to assist numerous small stages across the UK.

The money assisted venues that were confronting possible closure due to issues arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving amenities and gear that directly benefitted performers and fans.

"The concept that money from shows in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

The musician is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.

In the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, lead singer Cocker announced that the group would give their cash to the charity War Child.

In 2002, artist she divided her award between a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," she told a publication.

Previously, they gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners they gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.

"The victory was sufficient," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust announced it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in the city and the other in the city were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.