Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the Britain's small music venues.
The star was given the cheque on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the previous year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots had in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp received the prize in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, frontman the singer announced that the act would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist split her award across several good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," the artist explained to the media.
Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched the lives of others."
Recently, the trust announced it had saved two local spots in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in that area and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is funded by a national body and supporters who buy "stakes" in the properties.
