Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's independent music venues.
Fender was awarded the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his live tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and fans.
"The idea that money from concerts in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band won the trophy in 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist split her bounty between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," the artist told the media.
Two years ago, the band donated their funds to the local youth club that supported their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners they contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra 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 two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in the city and the other in the city were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the venues.
