Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's small live music spots.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his latest record his work was declared the top album of the previous year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages had in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 small stages across Britain.
These funds helped venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to donate his award funds to worthy causes.
When Pulp received the prize in the year 1996 for their record their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, artist she split her award across multiple good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group gave their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had saved two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
