Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the MVT, which operates to save the UK's small live music spots.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his latest record his work was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his live tour to support numerous local spots across Britain.
These funds supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The idea that funds from performances in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to give his honor prize money to worthy causes.
In Pulp won the prize in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty across several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite told the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their band, alongside other local music groups.
Also winners that year M People donated their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"The victory was ample," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
