The artist gives £25,000 cash award to independent live spaces

The artist has given the complete sum of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's small concert spaces.

The star was given the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also took part, generating over £100k on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.

The money assisted locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and audiences.

"The idea that funds from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.

He is far from the only musician to give his award winnings to worthy causes.

When the band received the award in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity the charity.

That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her prize among a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she shared with a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.

"Winning was ample," said singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved two local spots in the South East, by transferring them to local control.

The Joiners in that area and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.