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Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was given the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.

He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across the UK.

The money assisted spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in improving facilities and gear that positively impacted artists and audiences.

"The idea that money from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

The musician is not the first artist to donate his award funds to good deeds.

In Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer announced that the act would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her bounty across several charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she shared with a publication.

Previously, they contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Also 1994 winners they gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Winning was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected the lives of others."

Recently, the MVT announced it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.

One venue in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.