Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his latest record the album was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The concept that revenue from performances in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
He is among several artists to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their cash to the charity the charity.
During 2002, artist she shared her award between several charities, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told the media.
Two years ago, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"The victory was ample," stated singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.