Sam Fender has donated the complete sum of his £25k honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was awarded the cheque on mid-October as his third album the album was named the top album of the previous year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in appreciation of the crucial part local spots had in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across Britain.
The money supported locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties stemming from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in improving infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has stated.
He is not the first artist to donate his award winnings to worthy causes.
When the band received the trophy in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman the singer stated that the group would give their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, musician she shared her prize across multiple charities, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she shared with the media.
Two years ago, they gave their funds to the youth organization that developed their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And 1994 winners the group contributed their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in the city were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
