Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent concert spaces.
He was given the prize on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
Fender has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
He also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped venues that were confronting possible closure due to issues arising from water damage, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations received monetary aid in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and audiences.
"The idea that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his award winnings to charitable organizations.
In they won the prize in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the act would donate their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award between multiple good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist shared with the media.
In recent years, they gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other local music groups.
Also winners that year they donated their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"The victory was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had saved two small stages in the South East, by placing them under local control.
One venue in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who buy "stakes" in the venues.
