The star has donated the entirety of his £25k honor winnings to the MVT, which functions to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the cheque on October 16 as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the past year.
He has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages had in his beginning days.
"I wouldn't be doing my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the region, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These spaces are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately 16% of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.
He also took part, generating more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous local spots across Britain.
These funds supported spaces that were facing imminent closure due to issues arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Other venues were granted funding support in improving amenities and gear that directly benefitted artists and fans.
"The idea that money from concerts in major spaces helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is among several artists to donate his Mercury Prize prize money to charitable organizations.
When Pulp won the award in 1996 for their album Different Class, lead singer Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would give their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer the artist shared her bounty among a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.
"And I contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," she shared with a publication.
In recent years, the band contributed their prize money to the local youth club that developed their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally winners that year the group contributed their prize to a MS organization after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.
"Receiving the award was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the bonus but we could do without the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory touched another person's life."
Recently, the MVT shared it had saved two local spots in that region, by placing them under community ownership.
One venue in that area and The Croft in the city were bought under the public acquisition initiative, which is backed by Arts Council England and supporters who purchase "shares" in the venues.
