Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to protect the UK's small music venues.
The star was given the cheque on 16 October as his latest record his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his live tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
These funds helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The notion that money from shows in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
When the band won the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer the singer stated that the band would give their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her prize among multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, the band contributed their prize money to the community center that supported their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year the group donated their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said artist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in that location were acquired under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
