Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was given the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
He has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted locations that were dealing with imminent closure due to challenges caused by water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Other venues received financial assistance in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from shows in big venues helps the local stages, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
He is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to charitable organizations.
When the band earned the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the group would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician she divided her award across a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group contributed their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.
"The victory was ample," remarked singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in the city were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
