The artist has given the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's small live music spots.
Fender was given the prize on mid-October as his new release the album was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In they won the award in 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist shared her award across multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
Two years ago, the band gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their act, in addition to other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved two local spots in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
