Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed 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 benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help numerous small stages across Britain.
The money supported spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The idea that money from concerts in large arenas supports the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her prize across a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," she told the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked artist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the trust announced it had saved two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and the other in the city were acquired under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who acquire "shares" in the venues.
