Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k honor cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's small concert spaces.
He was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The donation helped locations that were facing possible closure due to challenges caused by floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations received financial assistance in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when they received the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the band would contribute their cash to the charity the charity.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her award across multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist shared with the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners the group gave their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued two small stages in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The first in the city and the second in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
