The star has handed over the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the UK's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages had in his early career.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 local spots across the UK.
These funds helped spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations received funding support in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces helps the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman the singer announced that the group would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her award among several organizations, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she told a publication.
In recent years, they gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their act, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners the group gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected another person's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved several local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.
