Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's independent music venues.
He was given the award on 16 October as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role local spots played in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
He also participated, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The donation supported venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from shows in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his award funds to charitable organizations.
In the band received the award in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer the singer declared that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her prize across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the youth organization that supported their act, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust shared it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to local control.
The first in Southampton and the second in the city were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
