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The artist has given the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.

The star was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the top album of the previous year.

He has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges caused by floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations received funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and fans.

"The concept that funds from performances in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.

The musician is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to charitable organizations.

When the band won the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, frontman Cocker announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the organization the charity.

During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her award among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite told the media.

Previously, they donated their prize money to the youth organization that supported their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.

"The victory was ample," said vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT revealed it had rescued two small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.