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Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.

Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his third album the album was named the best record of the previous year.

He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his early career.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

He also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist numerous local spots across Britain.

These funds helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in improving facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and audiences.

"The idea that money from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," the star has stated.

He is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.

When they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

That year, artist the artist split her bounty across multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.

Two years ago, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

Also 1994 winners M People donated their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.

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

Recently, the trust announced it had saved several local spots in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.