The musician donates twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to independent live spaces

The star has given the full amount of his £25k honor cash to the MVT, which works to save the UK's independent music venues.

He was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.

He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.

The donation supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that helped artists and fans.

"The idea that money from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.

Fender is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.

When they earned the award in 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the band would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.

During 2002, musician the artist split her prize between several organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she shared with the media.

In recent years, the band gave their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year M People gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.

"Winning was sufficient," stated artist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."

In the past week, the trust revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.