Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was named the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues received funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from performances in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.
When they earned the prize in 1996 for their album the album, frontman Cocker announced that the band would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her bounty across multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," the artist explained to the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners M People gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued two small stages in the South East, by transferring them to local control.
The first in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "shares" in the venues.
