Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the award on 16 October as his third album his work was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
In Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the organization the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her award across a few charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients M People gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had rescued two local spots in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The first in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the venues.
