Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the Britain's independent music venues.
Fender was awarded the award on 16 October as his latest record his work was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing amenities and gear that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to give his award winnings to good deeds.
Back when Pulp received the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she split her bounty between a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their act, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had protected several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.
