Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Fender also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his live tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from concerts in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his award prize money to charitable organizations.
In the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity the charity.
That year, musician she divided her bounty between a few organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"Winning was ample," remarked vocalist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our success affected the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
