Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted spaces that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, lead singer Cocker announced that the band would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, musician the artist shared her prize between a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she explained to outlets.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year they donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," said singer Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had saved two local spots in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in the city and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.
