The star has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's small live music spots.
He was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These spaces are iconic, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these venues have shut down – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
Recently, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
He also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
These funds supported spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and audiences.
"The concept that money from concerts in big venues backs the smaller venues, where it begins for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to contribute his honor prize money to good deeds.
In they won the trophy in 1996 for their record their work, lead singer Cocker announced that the group would donate their winnings to the charity the charity.
That year, artist the artist divided her prize between multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed new equipment," Ms Dynamite told the media.
Previously, they gave their winnings to the local youth club that supported their band, alongside other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners the group donated their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.
"The victory was ample," stated vocalist the singer. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our victory impacted another person's life."
Recently, the trust shared it had protected several local spots in south-east England, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in that area and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the buildings.
