Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
The star was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp received the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her prize between a few charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," the artist explained to outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the local youth club that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several small stages in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by a national body and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.
