Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the Britain's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the shows I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces received funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues supports the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the prize in 1996 for their release the album, frontman the singer announced that the act would give their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist split her prize among a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
Previously, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People contributed their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was ample," stated artist Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
