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Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the UK's small live music spots.

Fender was awarded the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

Sam Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.

These funds helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.

"The concept that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to give his award prize money to good deeds.

Back when Pulp earned the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Cocker stated that the band would give their prize money to the charity War Child.

In 2002, musician the artist shared her award across a few charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.

In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other local music groups.

And the 1994 recipients M People contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"Winning was ample," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success touched somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued two small stages in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

One venue in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the venues.