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The star has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the UK's grassroots music venues.

Fender was awarded the award on mid-October as his new release his work was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues had in his beginning days.

"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the MVT in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Fender also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

These funds assisted spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.

Other venues were granted monetary aid in modernizing amenities and gear that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The concept that revenue from performances in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.

He is among several artists to give his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.

Back when Pulp earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their cash to the charity the charity.

In 2002, artist the artist shared her prize across several charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they needed updated gear," the artist explained to the media.

In recent years, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that supported their group, alongside other local music groups.

And 1994 winners the group gave their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the condition.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated singer Heather Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."

In the past week, the trust announced it had protected several local spots in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the venues.