The star has handed over the full amount of his £25,000 honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the United Kingdom's independent live music spots.
Fender was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release the album was named the top album of the previous year.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the shows I played around the area, and further afield, when I was just getting going," remarked Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are struggling."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also participated, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money assisted spaces that were dealing with potential shutdown due to difficulties caused by floods, fires and bereavements, as well as permit problems, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues received funding support in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The concept that funds from performances in big venues helps the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.
Back when Pulp won the prize in 1996 for their release Different Class, lead singer Cocker declared that the band would donate their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist divided her bounty across a few good causes, such as the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"Additionally, I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other local music groups.
And winners that year they contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said vocalist Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our success impacted another person's life."
In the past week, the MVT revealed it had protected a couple of local spots in that region, by placing them under local control.
The Joiners in the city and The Croft in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "stakes" in the buildings.
