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Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the MVT, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots music venues.

Fender was awarded the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the previous year.

The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues played in his initial steps.

"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous local spots across Britain.

The money supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that positively impacted performers and audiences.

"The idea that funds from concerts in big venues helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to good deeds.

In they won the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, frontman Cocker declared that the band would give their prize money to the organization the charity.

During 2002, artist she split her bounty among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.

Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that supported their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"The victory was quite enough," remarked singer the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust shared it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.

The first in that area and the second in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.