Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k award prize money to the MVT, which functions to save the Britain's independent live music spots.
Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his new release the album was named the top album of the past year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds supported venues that were confronting possible closure due to issues arising from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to give his award winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when the band won the award in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would donate their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize across multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in the city and the other in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
