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The artist has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the UK's grassroots live music spots.

The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

He has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled 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 area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

Recently, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his live tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award prize money to good deeds.

In Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would donate their prize money to the non-profit the charity.

That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty among multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.

Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other local music groups.

And the 1994 recipients they donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," stated artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success touched somebody else's life."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and the second in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the venues.