Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25k honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
Fender was awarded the award on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across Britain.
The money helped venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The idea that revenue from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to give his honor winnings to worthy causes.
In they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their record their work, frontman Cocker declared that the band would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between several organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
Two years ago, the band gave their winnings to the community center that developed their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group gave their award to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had rescued several local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
