The artist has donated the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's small music venues.
The star was presented with the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
The money supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
Back when the band received the award in 1996 for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," she told a publication.
Two years ago, they gave their prize money to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had saved two small stages in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and The Croft in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by a national body and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
