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Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the Britain's independent concert spaces.

Fender was given the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has opted to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his beginning days.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across the UK.

The money supported venues that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.

Some locations received funding support in upgrading facilities and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.

"The concept that money from performances in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor funds to worthy causes.

In Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their cash to the non-profit the charity.

In 2002, musician she split her prize between several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," she told the media.

Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

Additionally 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the illness.

"The victory was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted another person's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved several local spots in the South East, by transferring them to local control.

The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the buildings.