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The artist has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the MVT, which operates to preserve the UK's small music venues.

The star was given the prize on 16 October as his new release the album was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition 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 performances I played around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.

He also took part, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.

The donation assisted locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues arising from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.

Other venues obtained funding support in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

He is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to good deeds.

In Pulp won the award in 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the non-profit the charity.

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

"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.

In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.

And winners that year they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.

"Winning was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success affected another person's life."

In the past week, the trust revealed it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.

One venue in the city and The Croft in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.