Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25k honor prize money to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's small music venues.
He was given the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
These funds assisted venues that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The idea that money from concerts in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
When Pulp received the trophy in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, musician she split her prize between multiple organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the community center that supported their act, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners they contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in Bristol were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the venues.
