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Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's small music venues.

The star was awarded the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was declared the top album of the previous year.

The musician has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Recently, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.

He also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.

These funds supported locations that were facing possible closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and concertgoers.

"The notion that revenue from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

He is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to good deeds.

In the band won the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist the singer announced that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

In 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her award among multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.

And 1994 winners they contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"The victory was ample," stated vocalist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in that area and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.