Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 award winnings to the trust for venues, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.
The star was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album the album was named the top album of the previous year.
The musician has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"I couldn't be pursuing this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," remarked Sam Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its efforts to help venues survive, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support 38 grassroots venues across Britain.
The money supported venues that were facing possible closure due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in improving amenities and sound and lighting systems that helped artists and fans.
"The idea that funds from performances in large arenas helps the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just sensible," Sam Fender has said.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his award funds to good deeds.
In they earned the prize in the mid-90s for their record their work, frontman Cocker declared that the act would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
That year, musician she divided her award among multiple charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I contributed a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," she told outlets.
In recent years, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also the 1994 recipients they gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was found to have the condition.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our success touched another person's life."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust shared it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to community ownership.
The first in that area and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
