The artist has given the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.
The star was presented with the prize on 16 October as his third album his work was named the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from shows in large arenas backs the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
When Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their record the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist split her bounty between several good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," she told outlets.
In recent years, they gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
One venue in Southampton and the other in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
