Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's small music venues.
Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his new release the album was declared the top album of the previous year.
He has decided to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 local spots across the UK.
These funds supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The idea that money from performances in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.
When they received the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist the singer declared that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, musician she split her prize among a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to a publication.
Two years ago, the band donated their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved several grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the second in the city were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who buy "stakes" in the venues.
