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The artist has given the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's independent concert spaces.

Fender was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.

Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation supported venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and fans.

"The idea that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has said.

The musician is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize funds to worthy causes.

When the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker announced that the act would give their winnings to the organization the charity.

In 2002, musician she divided her bounty among multiple good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she shared with the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.

And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the illness.

"Winning was ample," said vocalist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success touched another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had protected two local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the venues.