The artist has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.
When Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, artist she divided her bounty across several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
Two years ago, the band donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted another person's life."
Last week, the trust announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition program, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the venues.
