The artist donates £25,000 cash award to independent live spaces
The star has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
He was awarded the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous local spots across Britain.
The money helped spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The notion that money from concerts in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist the singer announced that the act would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she split her award between a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that supported their group, alongside other local music groups.
Also winners that year the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," stated vocalist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.