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The artist has given the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which works to save the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.

Fender was given the prize on 16 October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.

Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.

"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.

He also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and fans.

"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to good deeds.

In the band earned the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the act would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.

That year, artist she divided her prize across a few organizations, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.

Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, in addition to other local music groups.

Additionally 1994 winners they donated their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.

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

In the past week, the MVT announced it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by bringing them into local control.

The first in Southampton and the other in that location were acquired under the community ownership program, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.