Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which works to save the UK's small live music spots.
He was awarded the prize on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function local spots played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped musicians and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from performances in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to give his honor funds to good deeds.
When the band earned the award in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the organization the charity.
That year, musician she split her prize across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," the artist told outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said vocalist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust announced it had saved a couple of local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
