Sam Fender has donated the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the MVT, which operates to save the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his new release the album was declared the top album of the past year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
He also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The money helped locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations received monetary aid in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and audiences.
"The idea that money from performances in big venues backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has said.
He is not the first artist to give his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When they earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the act would contribute their winnings to the organization the charity.
In 2002, musician she split her award across several charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, they donated their prize money to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group donated their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," stated artist Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had saved several grassroots venues in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
