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The artist has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.

He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album his work was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots had in his beginning days.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.

Sam Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.

Other venues received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that funds from performances in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

Back when they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Cocker announced that the band would donate their winnings to the charity the charity.

That year, artist she shared her bounty across multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist told a publication.

In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the community center that developed their band, alongside other local music groups.

Also the 1994 recipients the group donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory touched another person's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had saved several small stages in the South East, by placing them under local control.

The first in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.