Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues caused by floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations were granted monetary aid in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to good deeds.
Back when the band won the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she shared her bounty across a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to a publication.
Previously, the band donated their prize money to the community center that developed their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"The victory was ample," stated singer the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had rescued several local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
