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The artist has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's small concert spaces.

The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was named the outstanding release of the previous year.

The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages had in his early career.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.

He also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous small stages across Britain.

The donation assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in improving amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and fans.

"The idea that money from performances in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.

The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award prize money to charitable organizations.

Back when they received the award in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their prize money to the charity the charity.

That year, rapper and singer she shared her award among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told outlets.

Previously, they contributed their prize money to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," said vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected the lives of others."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

One venue in Southampton and the other in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.