Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor cash to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's independent music venues.
Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his live tour to assist 38 local spots across Britain.
The donation helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman Cocker announced that the group would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her award across multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a grand to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," the artist told the media.
Two years ago, they contributed their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their group, as well as other local music groups.
And winners that year the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated vocalist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had saved two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
