Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's small concert spaces.
Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from performances in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his award funds to charitable organizations.
In the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their record their work, lead singer the singer declared that the band would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist shared her bounty among a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had protected several local spots in that region, by placing them under local control.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.
