Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would contribute their cash to the charity the charity.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her award among multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their band, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners M People gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the trust shared it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
