Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the award on 16 October as his third album the album was declared the top album of the previous year.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
He also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to worthy causes.
Back when they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty among several good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"The victory was ample," stated vocalist Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
