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The artist has given the full amount of his £25,000 Mercury Prize prize money to the MVT, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots concert spaces.

He was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

He has opted to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role grassroots venues played in his beginning days.

"I personally couldn't be pursuing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – approximately one-sixth of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, well-known musicians such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which goes to help smaller concert halls.

Fender also participated, raising over £100k on his live tour to assist thirty-eight small stages across Britain.

The money supported locations that were dealing with possible closure due to issues stemming from water damage, blazes and personal losses, as well as permit problems, conflicts and sound issues.

Additional spaces obtained monetary aid in upgrading infrastructure and gear that directly benefitted musicians and fans.

"The idea that money from shows in big venues backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

He is among several artists to give his honor winnings to worthy causes.

In Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer declared that the act would contribute their cash to the organization War Child.

That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her prize among several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I gave a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they lacked better apparatus," the artist told the media.

In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their winnings to the youth organization that supported their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

Also 1994 winners M People donated their award to a MS organization after a close contact was identified with the condition.

"The victory was ample," remarked vocalist Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't require the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted another person's life."

In the past week, the Music Venues Trust announced it had protected two grassroots venues in that region, by transferring them to community ownership.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were bought under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and music fans who purchase "shares" in the properties.