Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which works to preserve the UK's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The money supported spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving facilities and gear that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is among several artists to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In they won the prize in 1996 for their album their work, lead singer the singer announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her award between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year they donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had saved two small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by a national body and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
