Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 honor winnings to the MVT, which works to save the UK's independent concert spaces.
The star was given the prize on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the top album of the past year.
He has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots had in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the shows I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations received funding support in upgrading facilities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The idea that revenue from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is not the first artist to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
When they earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their album the album, frontman the singer announced that the band would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist shared her award between several good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she shared with the media.
In recent years, the band contributed their winnings to the local youth club that supported their group, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year they donated their prize to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the condition.
"Winning was quite enough," stated singer the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success touched another person's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had protected several grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the other in the city were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
