Sam Fender has donated the entirety of his £25,000 honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to save the UK's grassroots music venues.
Fender was presented with the prize on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.
He has decided to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous local spots across Britain.
These funds supported venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to issues stemming from flooding, blazes and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading infrastructure and gear that helped artists and fans.
"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to contribute his honor prize money to good deeds.
In they received the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman the singer declared that the act would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her award between a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to the media.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was ample," remarked artist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the MVT shared it had rescued a couple of local spots in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in the city and the second in the city were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
