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Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which works to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.

The star was given the award on 16 October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.

The musician has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.

He also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight local spots across Britain.

These funds supported venues that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations obtained funding support in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and audiences.

"The notion that money from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.

Fender is not the first artist to give his award funds to worthy causes.

Back when the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their release their work, frontman the singer stated that the group would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.

That year, artist the artist divided her prize among several good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she explained to the media.

Two years ago, the band contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other independent music bodies.

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

"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the trust revealed it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.

The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.