Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
Fender was awarded the prize on 16 October as his third album the album was named the best record of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The money helped venues that were confronting possible closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The concept that money from performances in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they received the prize in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer stated that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist she shared her award across multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," the artist explained to a publication.
In recent years, the band donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
