Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
The donation assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving amenities and gear that helped performers and audiences.
"The idea that funds from performances in big venues backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In Pulp received the prize in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her prize among several good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, the band gave their funds to the community center that supported their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they donated their prize to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," said vocalist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in the city and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
