Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots played in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.
He also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
The money helped spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and gear that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award funds to good deeds.
In they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, frontman Cocker declared that the group would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty among several organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," the artist told the media.
Previously, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients they donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," stated singer Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had protected several local spots in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.
