Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
The star was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his latest record the album was named the top album of the previous year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Some locations received funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, lead singer the singer announced that the band would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, musician Ms Dynamite split her bounty across multiple good causes, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist told the media.
In recent years, they gave their prize money to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
And winners that year they donated their winnings to a MS organization after a acquaintance was found to have the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," said vocalist Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved two local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
One venue in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
