Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25k award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's grassroots music venues.
The star was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also took part, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to good deeds.
When the band won the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, artist she shared her award across several charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," the artist told outlets.
Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had protected two grassroots venues in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the second in the city were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
