Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the MVT, which works to save the UK's independent music venues.
He was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his third album People Watching was declared the best record of the last 12 months.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous local spots across the UK.
The donation helped venues that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving amenities and technical equipment that helped artists and fans.
"The concept that funds from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
When Pulp earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the group would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, musician she split her bounty between several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with outlets.
Previously, they gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners M People donated their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the MVT announced it had rescued several grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in the city and The Croft in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
