Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the MVT, which works to save the Britain's grassroots music venues.
The star was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to help 38 small stages across the UK.
The money supported spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to issues stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped artists and audiences.
"The concept that funds from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp received the prize in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize between multiple organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she explained to the media.
Previously, the band donated their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
And 1994 winners the group donated their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Winning was ample," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Recently, the trust announced it had rescued a couple of local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
