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The star has donated the entirety of his £25k honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small music venues.

Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album his work was named the best record of the previous year.

Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages played in his initial steps.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.

Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation supported locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped musicians and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from performances in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.

The musician is among several artists to contribute his award funds to charitable organizations.

Back when the band received the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, vocalist the singer announced that the band would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.

That year, musician the artist shared her award between several good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," she told a publication.

Previously, the band gave their winnings to the community center that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.

And 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted the lives of others."

Recently, the MVT shared it had rescued two small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.

The first in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.