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The star has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's small music venues.

He was awarded the award on mid-October as his new release People Watching was named the outstanding release of the past year.

He has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Recently, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

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

These funds assisted spaces that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from flooding, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that positively impacted artists and audiences.

"The concept that money from performances in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.

He is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.

Back when the band earned the award in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.

In 2002, musician the artist divided her award across multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," the artist told the media.

In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the youth organization that supported their act, in addition to other local music groups.

And winners that year M People contributed their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"Winning was quite enough," said singer the singer. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning affected the lives of others."

Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had rescued two small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.

One venue in the city and the second in that location were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who purchase "shares" in the properties.