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Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's small music venues.

The star was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his new release his work was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.

Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to support numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues stemming from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The concept that funds from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.

Back when they received the trophy in 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

In 2002, musician she divided her award across several charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told the media.

In recent years, the band gave their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Also the 1994 recipients they gave their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"The victory was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."

Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved two local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The first in the city and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.