The star has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
The star was awarded the prize on October 16 as his new release People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role local spots fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are in difficulty."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The donation assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from floods, fires and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in upgrading amenities and technical equipment that helped musicians and fans.
"The idea that money from shows in large arenas supports the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When the band earned the award in 1996 for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their cash to the organization the charity.
During 2002, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"And I gave a grand to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite told a publication.
Previously, they contributed their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year they gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had protected a couple of small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by a national body and enthusiasts who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.
