Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
Fender was awarded the prize on 16 October as his latest record his work was declared the top album of the past year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots played in his early career.
"I would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by flooding, blazes and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues received funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas backs the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor funds to good deeds.
Back when the band earned the prize in 1996 for their release the album, frontman Cocker announced that the act would give their cash to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, musician she split her award among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group donated their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," said artist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.
