The artist has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's small live music spots.
The star was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part small stages had in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
These funds helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues received financial assistance in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces helps the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
Back when the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between a few good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, the band gave their prize money to the youth organization that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients they contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved two local spots in that region, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the properties.
