Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the prize on October 16 as his new release the album was named the best record of the past year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The idea that money from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to give his honor funds to worthy causes.
When the band won the trophy in the year 1996 for their record the album, vocalist the singer stated that the band would donate their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, musician the artist divided her prize between several organizations, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other local music groups.
And winners that year the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," said vocalist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had protected two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
