The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted spaces that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues received funding support in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the prize in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would donate their winnings to the charity the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her prize between several charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," the artist shared with a publication.
Previously, they donated their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients M People donated their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under local control.
One venue in Southampton and the other in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the properties.
