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Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's small concert spaces.

Fender was given the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

The musician has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his early career.

"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Recently, top acts such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also participated, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds assisted spaces that were facing possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.

Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and gear that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that revenue from concerts in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," the star has stated.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his award funds to good deeds.

Back when they earned the award in 1996 for their release the album, frontman Cocker stated that the act would give their winnings to the charity War Child.

That year, rapper and singer she shared her award among a few good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she told outlets.

Previously, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the local youth club that supported their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

Additionally winners that year the group donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning touched the lives of others."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected several grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in the city and the second in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "shares" in the venues.