Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which works to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his latest record his work was named the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The money helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues received monetary aid in modernizing amenities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from shows in big venues helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to donate his honor funds to good deeds.
Back when they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would give their prize money to the charity the charity.
During 2002, musician the artist shared her bounty between multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with the media.
Two years ago, the band gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year they contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was ample," remarked singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in that area and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the venues.
