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Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the MVT, which operates to preserve the Britain's small concert spaces.

Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release the album was named the outstanding release of the previous year.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots had in his early career.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

He also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.

The donation helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and audiences.

"The idea that money from concerts in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has said.

He is far from the only musician to donate his award funds to charitable organizations.

Back when the band received the award in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman the singer announced that the band would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her bounty among multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," the artist told the media.

Two years ago, the band gave their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.

Also 1994 winners they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved two grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.