Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25k award prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the UK's independent live music spots.
Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the best record of the past year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – about 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 local spots across the UK.
The donation assisted venues that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from water damage, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations received financial assistance in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from shows in major spaces helps the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when they earned the award in the mid-90s for their release their work, vocalist the singer declared that the act would give their cash to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her bounty across several organizations, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist shared with a publication.
Two years ago, they contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year they gave their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning affected another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT shared it had saved a couple of small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
