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The artist has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.

Fender was presented with the award on October 16 as his third album People Watching was chosen as the top album of the past year.

Fender has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in appreciation of the vital role grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the performances I did around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about 16% of the total UK scene.

In the last year, major artists including the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.

He also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his live tour to help 38 small stages across the UK.

The money assisted locations that were facing potential shutdown due to challenges arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces received monetary aid in modernizing facilities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted artists and fans.

"The notion that funds from shows in major spaces supports the local stages, where it begins for musicians like me, is just sensible," the star has commented.

The musician is not the first artist to give his award winnings to good deeds.

When Pulp earned the award in the year 1996 for their record the album, frontman the singer stated that the band would give their prize money to the organization the charity.

That year, artist Ms Dynamite divided her bounty between a few charities, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"I also donated a grand to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked better apparatus," she told the media.

Two years ago, they contributed their funds to the youth organization that supported their group, alongside other local music groups.

Also 1994 winners they donated their winnings to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.

"Winning was quite enough," remarked singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our success affected another person's life."

In the past week, the MVT shared it had rescued several local spots in the South East, by transferring them to community ownership.

One venue in Southampton and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership scheme, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the venues.