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The star has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the UK's independent concert spaces.

Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.

Recently, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.

Sam Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his live tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and audiences.

"The idea that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.

He is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.

In Pulp won the trophy in 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her award among multiple charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.

In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.

"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory affected the lives of others."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who buy "shares" in the buildings.