Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's small live music spots.
The star was given the award on 16 October as his new release People Watching was declared the best record of the past year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.
These funds helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by floods, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in improving amenities and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from shows in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his award prize money to charitable organizations.
In the band received the prize in 1996 for their album their work, frontman Cocker announced that the act would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
That year, artist she shared her award across multiple good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she explained to a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that developed their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners they contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued a couple of small stages in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.
