Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's small music venues.
The star was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to support 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
The money helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues received financial assistance in upgrading facilities and gear that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to donate his award funds to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their prize money to the organization the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her award among multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she told outlets.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the community center that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
And 1994 winners the group contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Winning was ample," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
