Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the prize on October 16 as his third album the album was named the top album of the last 12 months.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to help venues survive, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
He also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped venues that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The notion that funds from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor funds to worthy causes.
When the band won the trophy in the mid-90s for their release their work, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her prize among several good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she told outlets.
Previously, they donated their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners the group contributed their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.
