Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the best record of the past year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages played in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Fender also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous local spots across the UK.
These funds supported venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his honor funds to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would give their winnings to the organization the charity.
During 2002, artist the artist split her bounty among a few organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she told outlets.
In recent years, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners M People gave their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," said singer the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
