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The artist has given the full amount of his twenty-five thousand pound honor prize money to the Music Venues Trust, which works to preserve the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.

The star was awarded the prize on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the past year.

The musician has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.

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

Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these venues have ceased operations – roughly 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports independent venues.

Fender also joined in, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across the UK.

These funds supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to challenges stemming from water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and noise complaints.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and fans.

"The idea that funds from concerts in big venues helps the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.

The musician is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.

When Pulp won the trophy in the mid-90s for their release their work, vocalist the singer stated that the band would give their winnings to the non-profit War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty across several good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," Ms Dynamite told a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that nurtured their group, as well as other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients the group gave their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the condition.

"The victory was ample," said vocalist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the honor. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had protected two local spots in south-east England, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and music fans who acquire "shares" in the buildings.