Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's small music venues.
He was awarded the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages had in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained funding support in modernizing infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from shows in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
In Pulp received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Cocker announced that the band would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
That year, artist she divided her prize between multiple good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she told a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was ample," said vocalist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success affected somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had rescued several small stages in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The first in that area and the second in the city were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who buy "stakes" in the venues.
