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Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's small live music spots.

Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was named the top album of the last 12 months.

The musician has decided to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part 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 North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.

Other venues received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and fans.

"The idea that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.

He is far from the only musician to give his award funds to worthy causes.

When Pulp received the trophy in the year 1996 for their record their work, frontman Cocker announced that the band would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.

In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite shared her prize across several charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told outlets.

Two years ago, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that developed their group, alongside other local music groups.

And the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"The victory was ample," said artist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the trust shared it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.

The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the properties.