Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots had in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The money assisted spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The notion that funds from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
He is far from the only musician to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when they received the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her prize among several organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," she shared with the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
Also winners that year the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved several local spots in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in the city and the other in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition program, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the buildings.
