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The artist has handed over the full amount of his £25k award prize money to the trust for venues, which works to save the UK's grassroots live music spots.

The star was awarded the prize on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the top album of the last 12 months.

The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the trust, in appreciation of the vital role small stages played in his early career.

"I wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these venues have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which supports local stages.

He also participated, generating in excess of £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to support 38 local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds helped venues that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties stemming from flooding, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and neighbor objections.

Some locations obtained financial assistance in upgrading infrastructure and gear that helped musicians and audiences.

"The idea that money from performances in major spaces supports the smaller venues, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.

The musician is among several artists to donate his honor winnings to good deeds.

When they won the award in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would donate their winnings to the charity War Child.

That year, artist she divided her award across multiple charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," the artist told outlets.

Previously, the band contributed their funds to the youth organization that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients they donated their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the illness.

"Receiving the award was ample," remarked vocalist the singer. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the cherry, because we had the honor. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

In the past week, the trust shared it had rescued several local spots in that region, by bringing them into local control.

The Joiners in the city and the second in Bristol were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is backed by the arts council and supporters who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.