Sam Fender has given the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
The star was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the past year.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
He also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across the UK.
The money supported venues that were facing possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor funds to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the prize in 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist the singer stated that the act would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist divided her bounty across several good causes, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," Ms Dynamite told the media.
Previously, the band donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year they donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "shares" in the buildings.
