Sam Fender has given the complete sum of his £25k award prize money to the trust for venues, which functions to save the UK's independent live music spots.
He was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his third album the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function small stages had in his early career.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," said Sam Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – roughly 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, major artists including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
Fender also joined in, raising over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The concept that funds from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," Fender has said.
He is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp won the award in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.
During 2002, artist she shared her prize across multiple good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to the media.
In recent years, they gave their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their act, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
And winners that year they contributed their prize to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the illness.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched another person's life."
In the past week, the trust shared it had protected two small stages in the South East, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in the city were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
