Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award prize money to the MVT, which works to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.
He was given the prize on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the past year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his live tour to help 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation supported venues that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues backs the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to good deeds.
In the band received the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, vocalist the singer declared that the group would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her bounty among several good causes, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she told outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients they donated their prize to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was ample," stated vocalist Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust announced it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in that location were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
