The artist has handed over the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the UK's grassroots music venues.
The star was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his new release the album was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
In the band won the award in 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her bounty across several good causes, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she explained to outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued several local spots in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
