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The artist has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the Britain's grassroots music venues.

The star was given the cheque on 16 October as his new release the album was named the best record of the last 12 months.

Fender has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"I couldn't be pursuing my current career if it wasn't for all the shows I did around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these locations have shut down – roughly 16% of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help numerous small stages across the UK.

The donation helped venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges stemming from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and concertgoers.

"The concept that revenue from performances in large arenas supports the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has said.

The musician is not the first artist to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to good deeds.

In Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, lead singer the singer stated that the band would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.

During 2002, artist the artist shared her prize among a few organizations, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also donated a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," the artist told a publication.

Previously, they contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, as well as other independent music bodies.

And the 1994 recipients the group gave their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the illness.

"Receiving the award was quite enough," stated artist Heather Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the cake. So our success affected somebody else's life."

Recently, the MVT revealed it had saved several grassroots venues in the South East, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in that area and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is backed by the arts council and enthusiasts who purchase "stakes" in the buildings.