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The artist has given the full amount of his £25k honor cash to the MVT, which works to protect the UK's independent concert spaces.

He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was declared the best record of the past year.

He has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his early career.

"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.

Sam Fender also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.

These funds supported venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties arising from floods, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.

"The notion that money from concerts in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

He is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to charitable organizations.

When the band earned the trophy in 1996 for their album their work, frontman the singer announced that the group would contribute their cash to the organization the charity.

In 2002, musician the artist divided her prize across multiple good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.

"Additionally, I contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," the artist explained to the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the local youth club that supported their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Also winners that year they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the condition.

"The victory was ample," stated singer Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."

Recently, the MVT shared it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in the city and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.