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Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the outstanding release of the previous year.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"I wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.

These funds helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Some locations were granted financial assistance in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped musicians and fans.

"The idea that funds from performances in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.

He is far from the only musician to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.

When Pulp earned the prize in 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

That year, rapper and singer she shared her prize between several organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," she told a publication.

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

Additionally winners that year the group gave their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our success touched the lives of others."

Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued two local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "shares" in the venues.