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Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the UK's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the outstanding release of the past year.

He has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money supported venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that funds from concerts in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

The musician is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.

In the band won the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the charity War Child.

That year, artist she shared her award among a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," she told a publication.

Previously, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their award to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"The victory was quite enough," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the trust announced it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.

The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the properties.