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Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which works to protect the UK's small concert spaces.

He was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.

Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted spaces that were facing possible closure due to issues arising from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and audiences.

"The idea that funds from shows in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

He is among several artists to contribute his award funds to good deeds.

When they earned the trophy in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer announced that the group would give their prize money to the charity the charity.

That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty among multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.

Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their group, as well as other independent music bodies.

Also the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"The victory was quite enough," remarked singer Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success impacted somebody else's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under local control.

The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.