Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's independent live music spots.
Fender was presented with the prize on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous local spots across Britain.
The donation helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations received funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The idea that revenue from shows in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
Back when the band received the award in the year 1996 for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she shared her award across several organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," the artist told the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year the group gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was ample," remarked vocalist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the trust shared it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in that location were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
