Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was given the cheque on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to support 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in big venues backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to donate his honor funds to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, artist she shared her award among multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," she explained to outlets.
In recent years, they gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," stated singer Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the trust shared it had protected two small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the venues.
