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The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots music venues.

Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the previous year.

Fender has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages played in his early career.

"I would not have achieved this success if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.

Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across Britain.

These funds helped locations that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.

Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped musicians and fans.

"The notion that money from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.

Fender is not the first artist to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.

When they earned the award in the mid-90s for their album their work, lead singer the singer stated that the band would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

That year, artist she shared her prize among a few good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.

Previously, the band contributed their prize money to the community center that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

Additionally 1994 winners the group contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success impacted another person's life."

Recently, the MVT shared it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who buy "stakes" in the properties.