Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's independent music venues.
Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.
These funds assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues arising from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained funding support in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his award winnings to good deeds.
When Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their release the album, lead singer Cocker stated that the band would contribute their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she explained to outlets.
Two years ago, the band gave their prize money to the local youth club that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners M People contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success touched another person's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had saved two local spots in that region, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.
