Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his £25,000 award cash to the trust for venues, which works to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
Fender was given the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous local spots across the UK.
The donation supported venues that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and audiences.
"The notion that money from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to give his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
In the band received the award in 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their cash to the charity the charity.
During 2002, artist the artist shared her prize among several organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist told the media.
Previously, the band donated their prize money to the local youth club that supported their act, as well as other local music groups.
And winners that year the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved two local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.
