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Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.

Fender was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the top album of the past year.

Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages played in his beginning days.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

He also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation supported locations that were facing possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and audiences.

"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.

The musician is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.

When they received the award in 1996 for their record the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would contribute their cash to the charity the charity.

That year, musician she split her prize across several organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that developed their group, in addition to other local music groups.

And 1994 winners M People donated their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was ample," stated singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success touched another person's life."

Recently, the trust shared it had protected several small stages in the South East, by transferring them to local control.

One venue in that area and The Croft in that location were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.