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Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.

He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his early career.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

The money helped venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped artists and fans.

"The concept that money from performances in big venues supports the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

The musician is among several artists to contribute his honor funds to charitable organizations.

In Pulp received the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the act would donate their cash to the organization the charity.

During 2002, musician she shared her prize across a few good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she explained to outlets.

In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the local youth club that supported their band, in addition to other local music groups.

And the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."

Recently, the trust shared it had rescued two local spots in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.