Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The money helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in improving facilities and gear that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The idea that funds from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
He is not the first artist to donate his honor funds to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, musician she split her prize across multiple good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.
Two years ago, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
Also winners that year the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"Winning was ample," stated singer the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had protected two local spots in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
