Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the UK's independent music venues.
The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album his work was named the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his early career.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 local spots across Britain.
The donation helped venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Some locations received funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that funds from performances in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to worthy causes.
In the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, artist she divided her award across multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she shared with a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was ample," stated singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.
