The star has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
He was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous small stages across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received funding support in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The notion that money from performances in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to donate his award funds to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp won the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist split her award across several charities, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," she shared with outlets.
Previously, they donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners M People contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had saved several grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who buy "shares" in the venues.
