Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the Britain's independent concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 local spots across Britain.
These funds helped venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges caused by floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The idea that money from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
In the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, musician the artist shared her prize between multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
Two years ago, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners the group donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in the city were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.
