Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the MVT, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's small music venues.
He was given the prize on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these venues have shut down – about one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
These funds assisted venues that were facing possible closure due to difficulties stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The idea that funds from concerts in major spaces supports the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," the star has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his award winnings to good deeds.
When the band won the award in the mid-90s for their record their work, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would donate their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her prize across several charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," she shared with outlets.
Two years ago, the band contributed their prize money to the community center that developed their act, alongside other local music groups.
Also 1994 winners M People contributed their award to a charity for MS after a acquaintance was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our success impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into local control.
One venue in Southampton and the second in the city were bought under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
