Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25,000 award prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to preserve the Britain's independent music venues.
The star was given the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the previous year.
He has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Fender also joined in, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted musicians and fans.
"The idea that revenue from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
He is among several artists to give his award winnings to good deeds.
Back when Pulp earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the band would give their prize money to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her award across a few charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told outlets.
Previously, the band gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
Additionally winners that year M People gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked singer the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
Recently, the trust revealed it had saved several small stages in the South East, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in the city were bought under the public acquisition program, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the venues.
