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The artist has given the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the UK's independent concert spaces.

Fender was given the award on 16 October as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.

The musician has opted to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and fans.

"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas helps the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

The musician is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.

In Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their cash to the charity the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her bounty among multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she explained to a publication.

Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally winners that year M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the condition.

"The victory was sufficient," said singer Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted somebody else's life."

Recently, the trust announced it had saved several local spots in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.