Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the Britain's grassroots music venues.
He was awarded the prize on 16 October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages had in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
He also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues received funding support in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from concerts in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to good deeds.
In they won the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist the singer announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist she divided her bounty across a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," she explained to the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
And winners that year they donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success touched somebody else's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected several small stages in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership program, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the properties.
