🔗 Share this article

The artist has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the Britain's small music venues.

Fender was given the award on October 16 as his new release his work was named the top album of the last 12 months.

The musician has decided to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."

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

Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

Sam Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.

The money assisted venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from concerts in major spaces helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has said.

The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his honor winnings to good deeds.

In the band won the prize in 1996 for their record Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their prize money to the non-profit the charity.

During 2002, musician she divided her prize among multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.

Two years ago, they contributed their prize money to the community center that supported their group, as well as other independent music bodies.

Additionally winners that year M People donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success affected the lives of others."

Last week, the trust announced it had rescued two small stages in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.

The Joiners in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the properties.