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The artist has donated the entirety of his £25,000 honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.

Fender was presented with the prize on mid-October as his new release the album was declared the best record of the previous year.

The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.

These funds helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Other venues were granted funding support in modernizing amenities and gear that positively impacted artists and fans.

"The idea that funds from performances in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

Fender is among several artists to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.

In they earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman Cocker declared that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, artist she shared her bounty among several good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she shared with a publication.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

And the 1994 recipients M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.

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

Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved several small stages in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.

The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the properties.