Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the UK's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has decided to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.
The donation supported locations that were dealing with possible closure due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues received funding support in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from performances in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his award prize money to good deeds.
When they earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer the singer announced that the act would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer she shared her award among multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to outlets.
Previously, they contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year the group donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"Winning was ample," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Last week, the trust shared it had protected several grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
