The musician donates twenty-five thousand pounds award winnings to independent concert halls
The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
Fender was presented with the prize on October 16 as his new release his work was declared the top album of the previous year.
Fender has opted to give the cash to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his early career.
"I personally would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, well-known musicians including the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which supports local stages.
He also participated, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.
The money assisted locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to difficulties arising from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and noise complaints.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and fans.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in big venues backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has said.
Fender is among several artists to donate his honor prize money to worthy causes.
When Pulp earned the trophy in the year 1996 for their release their work, frontman Cocker declared that the band would contribute their prize money to the organization the charity.
That year, artist she split her prize between multiple charities, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their prize money to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Also winners that year M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.
"The victory was quite enough," said vocalist Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory impacted another person's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had rescued several local spots in that region, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who acquire "shares" in the buildings.