The artist has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which works to preserve the UK's grassroots music venues.
He was presented with the prize on mid-October as his new release People Watching was declared the top album of the past year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots had in his early career.
"I would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which supports local stages.
He also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across Britain.
The donation helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from performances in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
Fender is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
Back when the band earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker stated that the act would contribute their winnings to the non-profit the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her bounty among a few good causes, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," the artist explained to the media.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated artist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our winning affected the lives of others."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had saved a couple of small stages in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership program, which is funded by Arts Council England and enthusiasts who acquire "stakes" in the properties.
