The star has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's small music venues.
Fender was given the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to help thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The idea that revenue from shows in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor winnings to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, frontman Cocker announced that the group would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, artist the artist shared her prize across multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners they donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in that area and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.
