Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award cash to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
The star was awarded the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the top album of the past year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.
The money helped locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted funding support in modernizing amenities and gear that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his award prize money to worthy causes.
When the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would contribute their winnings to the charity the charity.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite divided her prize among a few charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT shared it had saved several small stages in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and The Croft in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
