The musician contributes twenty-five thousand pounds Mercury Prize to grassroots live spaces

The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25k award cash to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the UK's independent music venues.

Fender was presented with the award on 16 October as his latest record his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

Fender has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.

"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and fans.

"The notion that funds from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

He is among several artists to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.

In Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman the singer declared that the band would give their winnings to the organization War Child.

That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her prize across several good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," the artist explained to a publication.

Previously, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that developed their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.

"The victory was ample," stated vocalist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the trust announced it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

One venue in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition program, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.