🔗 Share this article

The artist has given the entirety of his £25k honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to save the UK's independent music venues.

He was given the award on mid-October as his third album his work was named the best record of the past year.

Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.

"I would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

The money helped locations that were dealing with possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.

Some locations obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.

He is far from the only musician to contribute his honor funds to worthy causes.

Back when the band received the prize in the mid-90s for their album the album, lead singer Cocker stated that the band would give their winnings to the charity the charity.

In 2002, musician she split her award across multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"I also gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with a publication.

Two years ago, the band gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.

Also winners that year the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"Winning was ample," stated singer Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

Recently, the MVT shared it had rescued two small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in that area and the other in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the properties.