The star has donated the full amount of his £25,000 honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
He was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album the album was chosen as the best record of the past year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
These funds helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving facilities and gear that helped artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.
Back when Pulp won the prize in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer Cocker announced that the act would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her award between multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," the artist shared with a publication.
Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the youth organization that supported their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners they gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was ample," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in the city were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
