The star has donated the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
He also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from shows in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When they received the prize in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she shared her prize between a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked singer Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.
