Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
Fender was given the award on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the best record of the previous year.
Fender has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function small stages had in his early career.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," said the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
He also joined in, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The money helped locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that helped musicians and fans.
"The idea that money from performances in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor funds to charitable organizations.
In they won the trophy in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker declared that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, musician Ms Dynamite split her prize among several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Previously, the band gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners the group contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted another person's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected several local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "stakes" in the properties.
