Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
He was given the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots had in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their ticket costs, which goes to help independent venues.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in large arenas supports the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when the band won the trophy in 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the act would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist she divided her bounty among multiple good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with outlets.
In recent years, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients M People donated their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," said singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected another person's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected several grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the other in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
