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Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the UK's grassroots music venues.

He was given the award on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.

He has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.

Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.

These funds supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.

Other venues received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.

"The concept that revenue from concerts in large arenas backs the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.

Back when the band won the award in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist the singer announced that the act would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.

In 2002, musician the artist split her bounty among several organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she told a publication.

In recent years, they donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other local music groups.

Additionally 1994 winners they gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved several grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.