Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 award cash to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was given the award on 16 October as his latest record his work was declared the best record of the past year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted spaces that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in modernizing amenities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from concerts in large arenas backs the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
He is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the charity War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist split her award among multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked better apparatus," the artist explained to the media.
Previously, they donated their prize money to the community center that supported their act, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners they gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," said vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT announced it had saved a couple of small stages in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in the city and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.
