Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the award on October 16 as his new release the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
He also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading facilities and gear that helped musicians and fans.
"The idea that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the act would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her prize among a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," she explained to the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients they gave their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
