Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.
He was given the award on 16 October as his third album the album was named the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to issues arising from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from performances in big venues backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to donate his award winnings to good deeds.
When the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she divided her bounty among multiple organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist shared with the media.
Two years ago, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
