Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was awarded the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the previous year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots played in his initial steps.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds assisted spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to issues arising from flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations received monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in large arenas backs the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
He is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to good deeds.
In Pulp earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman the singer stated that the group would contribute their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite divided her prize between multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," she explained to a publication.
Previously, they gave their funds to the local youth club that supported their act, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners they donated their prize to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had saved several grassroots venues in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the venues.
