Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his new release People Watching was named the top album of the past year.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I performed around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across Britain.
The money helped spaces that were dealing with imminent closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The notion that money from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
Back when they received the prize in the mid-90s for their record the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
During 2002, musician she shared her bounty across several charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked updated gear," she shared with a publication.
Previously, the band donated their funds to the youth organization that developed their act, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
And the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," stated vocalist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had saved two small stages in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
