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Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the UK's independent concert spaces.

He was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

He has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his early career.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.

He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and audiences.

"The concept that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

He is among several artists to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.

Back when the band earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their prize money to the charity the charity.

In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty between several good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she explained to outlets.

In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.

Also the 1994 recipients they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.

"The victory was sufficient," stated vocalist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.

One venue in Southampton and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.