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The star has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the Britain's independent concert spaces.

He was given the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the past year.

The musician has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"I personally would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the entire UK sector.

Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.

He also joined in, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to help 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation assisted spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from concerts in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.

He is not the first artist to give his award prize money to worthy causes.

When Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would give their winnings to the charity the charity.

During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her prize among a few charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.

In recent years, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year the group contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the condition.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the trust revealed it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the properties.