Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which operates to save the UK's small live music spots.
Fender was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
He has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The donation assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues stemming from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in improving facilities and gear that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from performances in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they earned the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Cocker stated that the band would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize across a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she explained to outlets.
Two years ago, they donated their winnings to the youth organization that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked artist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT shared it had protected several grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
