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Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's independent music venues.

Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.

Fender has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.

"The idea that revenue from performances in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.

He is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.

When they received the award in 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Cocker announced that the group would give their cash to the non-profit the charity.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty among multiple charities, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told the media.

Previously, the band gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

And the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."

Last week, the trust revealed it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.

One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.