Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function small stages played in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The notion that money from shows in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
When the band earned the award in 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would give their winnings to the charity the charity.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she explained to a publication.
Previously, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked vocalist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust announced it had saved several small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
