The artist has donated the entirety of his £25k honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots played in his early career.
"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.
Sam Fender also participated, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across Britain.
The money supported locations that were confronting possible closure due to difficulties arising from water damage, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Other venues received monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The concept that money from shows in big venues supports the independent spots, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
Fender is among several artists to give his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
In they won the trophy in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would donate their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer the artist split her prize across a few charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed updated gear," she explained to outlets.
Previously, the band gave their prize money to the community center that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.
Also winners that year they gave their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," said artist Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted another person's life."
Last week, the trust announced it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
One venue in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who purchase "ownership units" in the properties.
