The star has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
He was given the award on mid-October as his new release the album was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
The donation helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues received monetary aid in improving amenities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The idea that revenue from performances in big venues helps the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman Cocker announced that the band would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician she split her bounty between multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that developed their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year they gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," stated singer Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
