Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's small music venues.
The star was awarded the award on 16 October as his latest record the album was named the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has decided to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, well-known musicians such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.
He also took part, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped venues that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in upgrading facilities and gear that directly benefitted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.
In they earned the award in 1996 for their release the album, vocalist the singer declared that the group would donate their cash to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her prize across a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their group, as well as other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," said artist Heather Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had saved a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in the city were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.
