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The star has handed over the complete sum of his £25k award prize money to the MVT, which operates to preserve the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.

He was given the award on mid-October as his latest record his work was declared the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his beginning days.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the shows I performed around the area, and beyond, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These spaces are iconic, but they are in difficulty."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – about one-sixth of the entire UK sector.

In the last year, major artists such as Pulp, the group Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to help venues survive, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which supports smaller concert halls.

Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across Britain.

The money supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to issues caused by floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and neighbor objections.

Other venues obtained funding support in modernizing amenities and gear that positively impacted musicians and fans.

"The concept that funds from concerts in large arenas helps the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just sensible," the star has stated.

Fender is not the first artist to donate his honor winnings to worthy causes.

Back when the band won the prize in 1996 for their album Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the group would donate their winnings to the non-profit the charity.

That year, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite split her bounty between several organizations, like the children's charity and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I contributed a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I did gymnastics when I was growing up and they required better apparatus," she told a publication.

Two years ago, the band donated their funds to the local youth club that developed their group, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And 1994 winners they gave their award to a MS organization after a close contact was found to have the disease.

"The victory was quite enough," remarked singer Small. "The money was the bonus but we could do without the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning touched somebody else's life."

Recently, the MVT announced it had saved several small stages in that region, by placing them under local control.

One venue in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by a national body and supporters who acquire "shares" in the venues.