The artist has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to save the UK's independent concert spaces.
Fender was presented with the award on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the past year.
He has opted to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his early career.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," stated the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Over the past year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the Music Venues Trust in its efforts to support the industry, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist 38 local spots across the UK.
The donation assisted spaces that were confronting imminent closure due to challenges arising from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues obtained monetary aid in upgrading amenities and sound and lighting systems that positively impacted performers and fans.
"The idea that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has commented.
The musician is not the first artist to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to worthy causes.
When they won the prize in the year 1996 for their album Different Class, frontman Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist split her prize among multiple charities, including the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they needed better apparatus," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
Previously, Ezra Collective gave their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
Additionally 1994 winners M People contributed their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was diagnosed the condition.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said artist Small. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning touched another person's life."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected a couple of small stages in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.
The Joiners in the city and the second in that location were purchased under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "shares" in the properties.
