Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's independent live music spots.
The star was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in improving amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from performances in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would give their cash to the organization the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer she shared her bounty across a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
And winners that year they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was ample," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued several small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
