Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the Britain's independent live music spots.
He was given the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages played in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
Fender is not the first artist to give his honor winnings to good deeds.
Back when Pulp won the award in 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Cocker announced that the band would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, musician the artist split her award between several charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she told outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, as well as other local music groups.
Also winners that year M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
