Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to save the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages had in his early career.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues were granted funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The concept that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to give his honor funds to worthy causes.
When they won the award in the year 1996 for their album their work, vocalist the singer announced that the act would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
That year, musician she divided her bounty among multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," the artist explained to a publication.
Two years ago, they gave their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued two local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in that area and the second in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
