The artist has handed over the complete sum of his twenty-five thousand pound award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which works to save the UK's independent live music spots.
He was awarded the award on October 16 as his third album the album was named the top album of the previous year.
The musician has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function grassroots venues played in his initial steps.
"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the region, and further afield, when I was just getting going," stated the artist. "These locations are iconic, but they are facing challenges."
Since the start of 2023, at least 150 of these locations have shut down – about 16% of the entire UK sector.
In the last year, top acts such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their admission fees, which supports smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, raising in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to difficulties arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained funding support in upgrading facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped musicians and audiences.
"The notion that money from shows in large arenas backs the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just logical," the star has stated.
The musician is not the first artist to give his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.
Back when the band won the award in 1996 for their release Different Class, vocalist Cocker announced that the act would contribute their winnings to the non-profit War Child.
That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her prize between several charities, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist shared with a publication.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the community center that supported their group, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Also the 1994 recipients the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory affected the lives of others."
In the past week, the Music Venues Trust revealed it had protected two small stages in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in that area and the other in the city were purchased under the public acquisition scheme, which is supported by the arts council and supporters who acquire "ownership units" in the properties.
