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The star has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.

The star was given the prize on mid-October as his third album his work was named the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his early career.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 small stages across the UK.

The donation helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Some locations were granted funding support in upgrading infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.

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

Fender is far from the only musician to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.

When the band won the award in the year 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her award among several charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to the media.

In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

And 1994 winners the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.

"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."

Recently, the MVT shared it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by transferring them to local control.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.