The artist has donated the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the UK's independent live music spots.
He was presented with the award on 16 October as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
He has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"I would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket prices, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Sam Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support numerous small stages across Britain.
The money helped venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues stemming from flooding, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted performers and audiences.
"The concept that revenue from shows in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
In the band earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her award among a few organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked new equipment," the artist shared with the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the community center that nurtured their act, in addition to other local music groups.
And winners that year M People donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a acquaintance was diagnosed the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success touched another person's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued several grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.
The first in that area and the second in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition program, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the buildings.
