Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was given the cheque on mid-October as his new release the album was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his live tour to help numerous local spots across Britain.
The money supported venues that were facing potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The concept that money from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to give his honor funds to worthy causes.
In Pulp received the trophy in 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her award between multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners they gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked singer Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and the other in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who buy "stakes" in the properties.
