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The star has handed over the full amount of his £25k award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the UK's independent concert spaces.

Fender was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.

Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages played in his initial steps.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.

Sam Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation assisted spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to issues stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped performers and audiences.

"The notion that funds from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

He is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.

In Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist the singer declared that the group would give their prize money to the charity War Child.

During 2002, musician the artist shared her bounty across multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.

Previously, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their band, in addition to other local music groups.

And 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.

The first in Southampton and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.