Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
He was presented with the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
He has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the performances I played around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed 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 supports local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.
The donation supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from concerts in big venues helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," the star has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor funds to good deeds.
When Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer the singer announced that the act would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, rapper and singer she split her award among several charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," the artist told the media.
Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the youth organization that supported their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," stated vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the trust announced it had protected several grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the properties.
