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The artist has given the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which works to save the UK's grassroots music venues.

He was awarded the award on mid-October as his third album the album was named the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part small stages played in his early career.

"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the North East, and further afield, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

He also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support numerous local spots across the UK.

The donation assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from water damage, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.

Some locations received funding support in modernizing facilities and gear that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that funds from shows in big venues supports the local stages, where it begins for performers like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.

He is far from the only musician to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to good deeds.

In they earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release the album, vocalist Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would donate their cash to the charity War Child.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite split her bounty between multiple organizations, including the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I contributed a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.

Two years ago, they contributed their prize money to the local youth club that developed their band, alongside other independent music bodies.

Also winners that year M People gave their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"Receiving the award was ample," stated singer Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust announced it had rescued a couple of grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under local control.

The Joiners in that area and The Croft in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the venues.