The artist has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
He was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from performances in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.
In they earned the prize in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Cocker declared that the act would give their prize money to the charity the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer she shared her prize between multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
