Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the Britain's grassroots music venues.
He was presented with the award on mid-October as his third album People Watching was named the top album of the previous year.
He has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages had in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
He also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.
The donation helped venues that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations received funding support in improving infrastructure and gear that helped artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In they won the award in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, musician the artist split her bounty between multiple good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a grand to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist told the media.
In recent years, they gave their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients they contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked vocalist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had protected several local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
