Sam Fender has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to protect the UK's independent live music spots.
He was awarded the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his early career.
"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports independent venues.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
These funds supported spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues caused by flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.
Some locations obtained funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from performances in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.
Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his award winnings to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the award in the year 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker declared that the group would give their cash to the organization War Child.
That year, artist Ms Dynamite divided her prize across a few good causes, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed new equipment," she told a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also 1994 winners the group donated their winnings to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was ample," said singer the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our success affected the lives of others."
Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued several small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The first in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the public acquisition program, which is supported by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the venues.
