Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the MVT, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
The star was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
He has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the shows I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – approximately 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
He also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
These funds assisted spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces received financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to give his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
When they won the award in 1996 for their record their work, frontman the singer declared that the act would contribute their cash to the charity the charity.
That year, musician the artist split her award between a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.
Two years ago, the band contributed their prize money to the youth organization that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients M People gave their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning affected another person's life."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the buildings.
