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The star has donated the entirety of his twenty-five thousand pound Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.

He was presented with the prize on October 16 as his latest record the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the past year.

The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.

"As an artist would not have achieved this success if it wasn't for all the gigs I did around the region, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are facing challenges."

Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these locations have ceased operations – about 16 percent of the total UK scene.

In the last year, top acts like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.

Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to help 38 grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and sound issues.

Some locations received funding support in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and audiences.

"The notion that revenue from concerts in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," the star has stated.

Fender is among several artists to give his honor prize money to good deeds.

Back when Pulp received the award in the mid-90s for their album the album, frontman Cocker declared that the group would give their winnings to the organization War Child.

In 2002, artist she divided her award across several charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.

"And I gave a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," Ms Dynamite explained to a publication.

Previously, they contributed their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, alongside other grassroots music organisations.

Also winners that year the group gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the condition.

"Winning was quite enough," said singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted somebody else's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had rescued two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into community ownership.

The Joiners in the city and the other in the city were acquired under the community ownership program, which is backed by the arts council and music fans who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.