The artist has given the complete sum of his £25,000 honor winnings to the trust for venues, which works to protect the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.
Fender was awarded the cheque on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to give the cash to the MVT, in acknowledgment of the essential function local spots played in his beginning days.
"As an artist would not have achieved my current career if it wasn't for all the gigs I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," said Fender. "These locations are legendary, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, over 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly 16% of the total UK scene.
Recently, major artists including Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by applying a small levy to their ticket prices, which goes to help local stages.
He also took part, raising over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The donation helped venues that were dealing with potential shutdown due to challenges caused by flooding, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and sound issues.
Some locations were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the independent spots, where it begins for musicians like me, is just logical," Fender has commented.
He is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize winnings to worthy causes.
In the band received the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, vocalist Cocker declared that the group would donate their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her prize across several organizations, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a grand to the center, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they required better apparatus," she explained to a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the community center that supported their group, alongside other independent music bodies.
Additionally the 1994 recipients the group gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The cash was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning affected somebody else's life."
Last week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two small stages in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
One venue in that area and The Croft in that location were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the venues.
