The artist has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
He was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his latest record his work was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.
The donation supported locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from concerts in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to give his honor funds to good deeds.
In the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their album the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the band would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist shared her prize among a few charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
In recent years, the band donated their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year the group gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was ample," said singer Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had saved several small stages in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
