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Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the UK's independent music venues.

He was given the award on October 16 as his new release the album was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages had in his early career.

"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Recently, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.

The donation assisted venues that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from performances in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.

The musician is among several artists to give his honor funds to good deeds.

In Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist the singer announced that the group would give their prize money to the organization War Child.

In 2002, artist she shared her bounty across a few good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Two years ago, the band contributed their funds to the community center that developed their band, as well as other independent music bodies.

Also winners that year M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust announced it had rescued two small stages in the South East, by placing them under local control.

The first in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.