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The artist has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the Britain's independent music venues.

Fender was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages had in his beginning days.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

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

Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.

The donation supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted funding support in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted musicians and audiences.

"The notion that money from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.

He is not the first artist to donate his honor funds to charitable organizations.

When the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the charity War Child.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between several charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she explained to a publication.

Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that supported their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Also 1994 winners M People contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was sufficient," remarked artist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success impacted somebody else's life."

Last week, the MVT shared it had rescued a couple of local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.

The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.