The star has donated the entirety of his £25,000 award prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
He was given the cheque on 16 October as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the top album of the previous year.
The musician has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues had in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," stated Sam Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
He also took part, collecting more than £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The money helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that helped performers and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from concerts in big venues supports the local stages, where it kicks off for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to give his honor winnings to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Cocker stated that the act would donate their cash to the non-profit the charity.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite shared her award between several organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"Additionally, I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," the artist told the media.
In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the community center that nurtured their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally 1994 winners the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"The victory was quite enough," said artist the singer. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had saved several small stages in south-east England, by placing them under local control.
One venue in that area and the other in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
