Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to save the Britain's small music venues.
He was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release the album was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
He has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots had in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has said.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they received the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would donate their cash to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize across multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she shared with outlets.
Previously, the band donated their prize money to the community center that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
Also winners that year they donated their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the venues.
