Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
The star was given the award on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
These funds helped venues that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in improving amenities and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the prize in 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer the singer declared that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, musician the artist divided her award among several good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, the band donated their prize money to the youth organization that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year M People contributed their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
