Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album his work was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his live tour to support numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and audiences.
"The concept that funds from shows in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when the band received the award in 1996 for their release their work, frontman Cocker declared that the group would donate their prize money to the charity the charity.
That year, rapper and singer she shared her prize between multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with the media.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners M People gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two small stages in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.
