Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k award cash to the trust for venues, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his third album People Watching was named the outstanding release of the past year.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These spaces are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.
Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
These funds supported venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
The musician is far from the only musician to give his award prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite split her prize across a few good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also gave a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite explained to outlets.
Previously, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners the group gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," stated singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected another person's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
