The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.
The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album the album was named the best record of the past year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages had in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that money from concerts in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer the singer stated that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist she divided her bounty across a few organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," she told outlets.
Previously, they donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, alongside other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was ample," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.
