Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record his work was named the top album of the previous year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation assisted spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to give his award winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when they received the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, musician the artist split her prize between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist told outlets.
Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was ample," said singer the singer. "The money was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved two small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and the second in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
