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The artist has given the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.

He was given the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the previous year.

Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function small stages played in his initial steps.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

Sam Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.

"The concept that funds from concerts in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.

He is far from the only musician to contribute his award prize money to good deeds.

When Pulp earned the award in the mid-90s for their release the album, frontman the singer declared that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.

During 2002, artist she divided her prize between multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she told the media.

Previously, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that supported their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And winners that year they contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.

One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.