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The star has handed over the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.

He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his third album the album was declared the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the essential function local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.

"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports local stages.

He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to assist 38 local spots across the UK.

The money assisted venues that were dealing with imminent closure due to issues stemming from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.

Other venues received financial assistance in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and audiences.

"The concept that revenue from performances in large arenas backs the local stages, where it all starts for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.

Back when they received the prize in 1996 for their record their work, frontman Cocker stated that the band would donate their cash to the organization War Child.

That year, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty across multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she told outlets.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.

Additionally winners that year the group donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.

"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated artist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our winning touched the lives of others."

Recently, the trust shared it had saved two local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who acquire "shares" in the buildings.