Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.
He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 local spots across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues caused by floods, fires and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Some locations received financial assistance in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The notion that funds from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When they earned the prize in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer announced that the band would contribute their winnings to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist divided her award between several good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," the artist told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT shared it had saved several local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
