Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
The star was presented with the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
The musician has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the vital role local spots had in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Sam Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous local spots across Britain.
The money assisted locations that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations were granted funding support in improving amenities and technical equipment that helped musicians and audiences.
"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas supports the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
He is among several artists to donate his award winnings to charitable organizations.
In Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist the artist split her award among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," she shared with outlets.
In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.
And winners that year M People gave their prize to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success touched another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of small stages in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in that location were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
