The artist has given the entirety of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues received funding support in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
In the band earned the prize in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, artist the artist divided her award among several charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected several grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
