Sam Fender has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the UK's independent live music spots.
The star was given the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted locations that were facing imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing amenities and gear that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from performances in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his honor funds to worthy causes.
When the band earned the prize in 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist she shared her award among a few good causes, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also donated a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required new equipment," she shared with the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients they contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was sufficient," stated artist the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
