Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was given the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges caused by flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp received the prize in 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman the singer declared that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist she divided her prize between a few organizations, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," the artist shared with outlets.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," said artist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and The Croft in the city were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.
