The musician gives his £25k prize cash award to small music venues
The star has donated the entirety of his £25,000 honor cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was presented with the award on mid-October as his new release his work was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The money helped venues that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
He is among several artists to donate his honor funds to charitable organizations.
When Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist shared her award across a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she told the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the local youth club that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year the group donated their prize to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success impacted another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in the city were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.