Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the MVT, which functions to save the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the top album of the previous year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
He also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across Britain.
The donation supported venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when the band received the prize in 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her prize among multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to the media.
Previously, they gave their winnings to the community center that nurtured their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year M People donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," said artist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT shared it had rescued several small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the second in the city were acquired under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who buy "stakes" in the properties.
