Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's independent live music spots.
The star was given the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The idea that funds from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to give his award prize money to charitable organizations.
When they received the prize in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the group would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her bounty across several good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," she explained to a publication.
Previously, they donated their winnings to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients M People donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," stated vocalist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The first in that area and the other in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
