Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was presented with the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds helped locations that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received financial assistance in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to give his award funds to worthy causes.
When Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist the singer announced that the band would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.
In 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her award across a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she explained to outlets.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the community center that supported their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also 1994 winners they donated their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in the city were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the properties.
