Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the cheque on 16 October as his third album the album was named the outstanding release of the past year.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function small stages played in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help numerous local spots across the UK.
The donation helped spaces that were facing possible closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues received financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The notion that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to good deeds.
When Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their release their work, frontman Cocker declared that the band would donate their cash to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, musician the artist divided her prize across multiple charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
And winners that year the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in the city and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
