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The star has handed over the full amount of his £25k award prize money to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the Britain's small concert spaces.

He was given the prize on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.

He has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.

"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Sam Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 small stages across Britain.

The money helped locations that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges stemming from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.

Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and audiences.

"The notion that revenue from concerts in big venues supports the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.

The musician is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.

In the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer the singer stated that the band would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her award between several charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," she shared with the media.

Previously, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the local youth club that developed their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.

Additionally the 1994 recipients they gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

Recently, the trust shared it had protected a couple of local spots in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.

The Joiners in that area and the second in the city were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who acquire "shares" in the venues.