Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.
The star was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and gear that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
Fender is among several artists to give his award prize money to worthy causes.
When they received the prize in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer the singer declared that the group would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist split her bounty between several organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," she explained to outlets.
Previously, they donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had saved several local spots in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
