Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to save the UK's small live music spots.
Fender was given the prize on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was named the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations received financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the trophy in 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer the singer announced that the group would give their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her award across a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their act, in addition to other local music groups.
And winners that year the group contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was ample," stated artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in that area and the other in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
