Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the MVT, which operates to protect the UK's independent live music spots.
He was awarded the prize on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the best record of the past year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from concerts in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to give his award winnings to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the prize in 1996 for their release their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the act would donate their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist she shared her award among several organizations, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the community center that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning touched another person's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.
