Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the MVT, which operates to preserve the UK'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 give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages had in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation helped spaces that were facing possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.
When the band received the prize in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer the singer declared that the band would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
That year, artist she split her award among several good causes, like the NSPCC 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 lacked better apparatus," the artist told the media.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the community center that developed their group, as well as other local music groups.
Also winners that year M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several small stages in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the properties.
