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Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.

Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his new release his work was named the best record of the past year.

The musician has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.

The money assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained monetary aid in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The idea that money from concerts in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.

He is not the first artist to donate his award funds to worthy causes.

Back when the band won the trophy in 1996 for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would give their cash to the charity the charity.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her bounty between multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.

Two years ago, they gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally the 1994 recipients they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.

"Winning was sufficient," said artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had saved a couple of small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.

One venue in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by a national body and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.