Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's independent concert spaces.
The star was presented with the prize on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the past year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
In the last year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
He also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from water damage, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained funding support in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has stated.
He is far from the only musician to give his award funds to good deeds.
In they earned the prize in 1996 for their record their work, frontman Cocker announced that the band would donate their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, artist the artist shared her bounty between several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she explained to a publication.
Two years ago, the band gave their prize money to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year they gave their prize to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," said vocalist the singer. "The money was the extra but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory touched the lives of others."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by transferring them to local control.
The first in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
