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The star has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.

He was presented with the prize on 16 October as his new release his work was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

The musician has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.

Sam Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Some locations received funding support in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that money from performances in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

The musician is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to worthy causes.

Back when the band received the award in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer stated that the act would give their prize money to the charity War Child.

In 2002, artist she split her prize across several organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she shared with outlets.

In recent years, they gave their funds to the community center that developed their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"Winning was ample," stated vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory touched the lives of others."

Last week, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to local control.

One venue in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.