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The artist has donated the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small music venues.

Fender was presented with the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the past year.

He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.

"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.

These funds supported spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations received financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from shows in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his honor funds to good deeds.

In Pulp received the prize in 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her award between a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Two years ago, they contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their act, alongside other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year M People gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the condition.

"Winning was ample," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."

In the past week, the trust shared it had saved a couple of local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the venues.