The artist has handed over the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his third album People Watching was named the best record of the last 12 months.
He has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his beginning days.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped spaces that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges caused by water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that revenue from shows in large arenas supports the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Sam Fender has said.
He is far from the only musician to donate his award prize money to charitable organizations.
Back when the band won the award in the year 1996 for their record Different Class, frontman Cocker declared that the group would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.
In 2002, artist the artist split her award across a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I donated a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," the artist shared with a publication.
Two years ago, the band gave their prize money to the community center that supported their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year they contributed their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was ample," said vocalist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted the lives of others."
Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in Bristol were purchased under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the properties.
