Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the MVT, which works to protect the Britain's independent live music spots.
Fender was awarded the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations received funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that funds from concerts in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
He is not the first artist to give his award winnings to worthy causes.
Back when they won the prize in 1996 for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist divided her bounty across a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
In recent years, the band donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," said artist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our success affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved a couple of small stages in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the venues.
