Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the UK's independent music venues.
Fender was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported venues that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
He is far from the only musician to give his award winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when they won the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Cocker declared that the act would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her bounty between several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
Two years ago, they donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners M People donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was ample," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted another person's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had saved two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in that location were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
