Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
He was given the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
He has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages had in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his live tour to support 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted venues that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations received financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The idea that money from performances in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band received the award in 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist shared her award among several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," the artist told the media.
Previously, they contributed their winnings to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was ample," said artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in that area and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the properties.
