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The artist has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.

The star was given the cheque on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the top album of the past year.

He has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages had in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges stemming from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.

Some locations received funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and audiences.

"The concept that funds from shows in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

In Pulp won the award in 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer stated that the group would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.

In 2002, musician the artist divided her award between a few charities, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that developed their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the condition.

"The victory was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The first in the city and the other in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.