Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his new release his work was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages played in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations received funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from performances in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award winnings to good deeds.
In Pulp won the trophy in 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she told the media.
In recent years, they donated their prize money to the community center that supported their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners they contributed their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"Winning was ample," remarked artist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several local spots in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The first in the city and The Croft in the city were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the properties.
