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The star has given the entirety of his £25,000 honor winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.

The star was given the cheque on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.

"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Recently, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The donation helped venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.

Other venues received financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted artists and fans.

"The concept that money from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," the star has commented.

He is not the first artist to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.

When they received the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.

During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her award between multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Also the 1994 recipients the group gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved two local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.

The Joiners in that area and the other in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.