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Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which functions to preserve the UK's grassroots music venues.

Fender was given the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

He also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.

The donation helped spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that money from concerts in big venues backs the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has said.

The musician is among several artists to give his award prize money to good deeds.

In the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their record their work, lead singer Cocker announced that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her bounty between multiple charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," the artist told outlets.

In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies.

And winners that year M People donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued several local spots in the South East, by bringing them into local control.

The first in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.