The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the top album of the previous year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
These funds supported locations that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The notion that money from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they earned the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, frontman the singer stated that the group would give their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, musician the artist divided her prize across several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she told a publication.
Two years ago, they contributed their winnings to the community center that nurtured their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients they donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked vocalist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved several grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
