Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's small music venues.
Fender was given the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the past year.
The musician has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and gear that helped artists and audiences.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist the singer announced that the band would donate their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, artist the artist shared her award between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that developed their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year the group gave their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in the city and the second in that location were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
