Sam Fender has given the full amount of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
The star was presented with the award on 16 October as his new release his work was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages had in his early career.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, well-known musicians like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The money supported venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges arising from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained funding support in improving facilities and technical equipment that helped performers and fans.
"The idea that funds from performances in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
He is among several artists to give his award winnings to good deeds.
When the band received the prize in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman the singer announced that the band would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite divided her bounty among a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," the artist shared with the media.
In recent years, they donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients the group contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," said singer Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the cake. So our winning touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved two small stages in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the venues.
