Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages played in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 local spots across Britain.
The donation helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from performances in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
In they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the band would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
That year, artist the artist split her award across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she explained to a publication.
Previously, they donated their winnings to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners the group contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," said artist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success affected somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two small stages in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in that area and the second in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
