Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's independent live music spots.
The star was presented with the award on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to charitable organizations.
When Pulp won the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her bounty across several good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
Previously, the band gave their winnings to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they gave their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," stated vocalist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved two local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
