Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages played in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds supported spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
When the band won the prize in 1996 for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," she told outlets.
In recent years, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched the lives of others."
Recently, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.
