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The star has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's independent live music spots.

The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the best record of the past year.

Fender has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, major artists such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.

He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds supported locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues were granted funding support in upgrading facilities and gear that positively impacted musicians and audiences.

"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.

He is among several artists to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.

When they won the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the act would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer she split her bounty between a few organizations, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," she shared with outlets.

In recent years, they donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other independent music bodies.

And the 1994 recipients the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"The victory was quite enough," said artist Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT announced it had rescued a couple of small stages in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and the second in the city were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.