Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his third album his work was declared the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted locations that were facing possible closure due to issues arising from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has said.
The musician is among several artists to donate his honor funds to good deeds.
When the band earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, vocalist the singer stated that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her award across a few organizations, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," she told a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that developed their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had protected two small stages in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
