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The artist has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's small music venues.

Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the previous year.

The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages had in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.

The donation helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that helped musicians and audiences.

"The concept that revenue from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.

When Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would contribute their prize money to the organization the charity.

During 2002, artist she split her award across a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she told outlets.

Two years ago, the band gave their prize money to the community center that supported their group, as well as other local music groups.

Also winners that year M People gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"The victory was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."

Recently, the MVT shared it had rescued a couple of small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "stakes" in the venues.