Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
The star was awarded the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
He also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In they won the award in 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist the singer declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist she shared her award among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their band, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Winning was ample," said artist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in that area and the second in that location were acquired under the community ownership scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
