Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the MVT, which works to protect the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
He was given the prize on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
He also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received funding support in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
In the band received the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman the singer announced that the band would donate their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, musician she split her bounty between multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, they donated their prize money to the local youth club that developed their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners they donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the properties.
