The artist donates his £25k prize cash award to grassroots live spaces
The star has donated the entirety of his £25k award winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the Britain's independent music venues.
He was awarded the prize on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
He has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The money assisted venues that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.
In the band won the award in 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer the singer stated that the band would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, musician the artist divided her bounty among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," the artist told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients they gave their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.