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Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.

He was given the prize on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.

He has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages had in his beginning days.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.

The money assisted locations that were dealing with possible closure due to issues stemming from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.

"The idea that funds from performances in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to charitable organizations.

In Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.

That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across a few good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," she shared with a publication.

Two years ago, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally 1994 winners they gave their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"Winning was ample," remarked artist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the MVT revealed it had protected two local spots in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.