Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's small live music spots.
He was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
He also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award winnings to worthy causes.
Back when the band won the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist the singer declared that the act would donate their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, artist the artist divided her award between several good causes, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," the artist told the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.
And winners that year they contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked artist the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had protected a couple of local spots in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in that area and The Croft in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the venues.
