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Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the Britain's small live music spots.

The star was awarded the prize on 16 October as his third album his work was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

The musician has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his beginning days.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted locations that were facing possible closure due to issues arising from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and audiences.

"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.

In the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer declared that the band would give their cash to the organization the charity.

In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her award among multiple charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.

Previously, they donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally winners that year the group contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.

"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."

Recently, the trust shared it had rescued two local spots in that region, by transferring them to local control.

The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.