Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
He was presented with the award on mid-October as his new release the album was chosen as the top album of the last 12 months.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his live tour to help numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation assisted spaces that were facing imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Other venues were granted financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from performances in major spaces backs the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their record Different Class, frontman the singer announced that the band would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
That year, artist she split her award among a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
In recent years, the band contributed their winnings to the youth organization that supported their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
And the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory affected another person's life."
Last week, the trust shared it had protected several small stages in that region, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the venues.
