Sam Fender has handed over the entirety of his £25k award winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the UK's grassroots concert spaces.
He was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the top album of the past year.
He has opted to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages had in his early career.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Fender also participated, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help 38 small stages across Britain.
The money helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues arising from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.
Some locations received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that funds from concerts in big venues helps the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just logical," the star has stated.
He is not the first artist to give his award prize money to charitable organizations.
In they earned the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her award among a few charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," she told the media.
In recent years, they contributed their prize money to the community center that developed their act, as well as other local music groups.
Also the 1994 recipients the group contributed their award to a MS organization after a friend was found to have the condition.
"Winning was sufficient," stated vocalist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success impacted the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two small stages in that region, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the properties.
