The artist has donated the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
He was awarded the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages had in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his live tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The donation helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to give his honor winnings to good deeds.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, frontman the singer announced that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her prize across several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," said singer Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success touched another person's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had saved several grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
