Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
The star was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record his work was declared the best record of the past year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were confronting imminent closure due to issues stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations received funding support in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces helps the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, lead singer the singer stated that the act would give their prize money to the organization the charity.
In 2002, musician she divided her bounty among several charities, including the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," she told outlets.
Previously, the band gave their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year M People gave their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," said singer Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had protected several small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who buy "shares" in the venues.
