Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's small music venues.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release the album was named the top album of the past year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
He also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous local spots across the UK.
These funds supported locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his honor winnings to good deeds.
Back when the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman the singer stated that the band would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist split her prize between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
In recent years, they gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was ample," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved a couple of small stages in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in Southampton and the other in the city were purchased under the community ownership program, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.
