The musician donates £25,000 award winnings to grassroots music venues

The artist has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's small music venues.

The star was presented with the prize on mid-October as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the past year.

Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.

The donation helped locations that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and audiences.

"The idea that money from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.

He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.

In Pulp won the prize in 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Cocker stated that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her prize between multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.

Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Also winners that year the group contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"Winning was ample," stated artist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected several grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under local control.

The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the properties.