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The star has given the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the UK's independent live music spots.

He was awarded the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the top album of the past year.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function small stages played in his early career.

"I would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.

Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous local spots across Britain.

The donation helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The notion that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.

He is not the first artist to donate his award funds to good deeds.

Back when the band earned the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.

In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize among a few good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," the artist shared with the media.

Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the community center that supported their band, as well as other local music groups.

And 1994 winners M People contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success affected the lives of others."

Last week, the trust shared it had protected two small stages in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.