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Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which works to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was given the cheque on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the best record of the last 12 months.

The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous local spots across the UK.

These funds helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations received monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.

"The concept that money from performances in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," the star has said.

Fender is far from the only musician to give his award funds to charitable organizations.

When they received the prize in the year 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Cocker announced that the act would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty among several good causes, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.

Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.

Additionally 1994 winners they gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the disease.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," said artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success affected the lives of others."

In the past week, the MVT shared it had rescued two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.

One venue in Southampton and the other in the city were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the venues.