Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted locations that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his honor prize money to good deeds.
When the band received the award in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Cocker announced that the act would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her award among a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a grand to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
And winners that year M People gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had protected several grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the other in the city were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the buildings.
