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Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to save the UK's small live music spots.

Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Recently, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.

Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation helped locations that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces received funding support in improving facilities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The idea that funds from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.

He is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.

In the band won the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman the singer stated that the act would donate their cash to the charity the charity.

During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her bounty among multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told a publication.

Previously, the band donated their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients they donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory touched another person's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued a couple of small stages in south-east England, by placing them under local control.

The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.