The artist has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the MVT, which operates to protect the Britain's small live music spots.
Fender was given the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The idea that funds from concerts in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Cocker announced that the band would give their prize money to the organization the charity.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty across several good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," she explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was ample," said vocalist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
