The star has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's independent music venues.
He was presented with the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in improving amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When they received the prize in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would give their cash to the organization the charity.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Last week, the trust revealed it had protected several grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
