Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's independent concert spaces.
The star was presented with the prize on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages had in his early career.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, top acts like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were confronting imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained monetary aid in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that funds from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is among several artists to give his honor prize money to good deeds.
Back when Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their cash to the non-profit War Child.
That year, rapper and singer she divided her award between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required updated gear," she told the media.
Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients they donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in that area and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the venues.
