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Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award cash to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.

Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his third album his work was declared the best record of the past year.

He has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.

He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation supported spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and audiences.

"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.

When Pulp earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her prize between several charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with the media.

In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.

And winners that year the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.

"Winning was ample," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success touched the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued two grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the venues.