Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's small music venues.
The star was presented with the award on mid-October as his new release his work was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
He has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Fender also participated, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous local spots across Britain.
The money helped spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to issues caused by flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations were granted financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and technical equipment that helped musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that funds from performances in big venues supports the independent spots, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his award winnings to good deeds.
When Pulp won the trophy in the year 1996 for their album the album, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her bounty across several organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with the media.
Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the local youth club that supported their group, in addition to other local music groups.
Also winners that year they contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
