Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25k honor prize money to the MVT, which works to save the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
Fender was given the prize on 16 October as his third album the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
He has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the performances I played around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues stemming from water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and gear that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his honor winnings to worthy causes.
When they earned the trophy in 1996 for their album the album, frontman the singer stated that the band would contribute their cash to the non-profit the charity.
That year, artist the artist divided her bounty among a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," she explained to outlets.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their band, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year they contributed their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
