Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his latest record the album was declared the best record of the past year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 local spots across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from shows in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor winnings to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would give their winnings to the charity the charity.
That year, rapper and singer the artist shared her award between multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
Two years ago, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners they contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was ample," said singer the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved two small stages in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
