Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k award cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the Britain's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the cheque on 16 October as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots played in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
He also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his recent tour to assist 38 small stages across the UK.
The donation supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.
"The notion that money from shows in large arenas supports the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his honor prize money to good deeds.
Back when the band earned the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their prize money to the non-profit War Child.
That year, musician she split her prize across multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," the artist told a publication.
In recent years, the band contributed their funds to the community center that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients the group contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," remarked vocalist Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
