Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his early career.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it weren't for all the shows I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
These funds helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues backs the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award funds to charitable organizations.
Back when the band earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist the singer announced that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.
That year, rapper and singer she shared her bounty across a few charities, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," the artist told outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that developed their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
And 1994 winners M People contributed their prize to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our success touched the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of local spots in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
