Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
He was awarded the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that money from performances in big venues backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor funds to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp received the prize in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her prize among multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she explained to outlets.
Two years ago, the band donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.
And winners that year they donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the venues.
